Red Bull Racing is one of the most successful teams in the modern era of Formula 1. But behind the titles, the records and the overwhelming shadow of Max Verstappen, there is another, much less glamorous reality: driver management that is often brutal, sometimes inconsistent, and regularly destructive.
As 2026 dawns and the team enters a new technical and political era, it's time to face the facts. Ten of the most regrettable driver decisions in Red Bull historyChoices that shaped the team… but also left real human and sporting damage.
Jaime Alguersuari Launched too early, sacrificed too soon. In 2009, Red Bull propel Jaime Alguersuari en F1 just 19 years oldWithout sufficient preparation, he became the youngest driver in history… but also a symbol of a system that prioritizes haste over development. Despite scoring a few points, his career ended prematurely. At 25, he's already out of the game.Lesson ignored: talent does not always survive an emergency.
Scott Speed : when the pilot-team relationship implodes. The ousting of Scott Speed The sporting events of 2007 weren't shocking. What was shocking was the manner in which they were played out: open conflicts, public humiliations, and disastrous communication. Red Bull He then discovers that a poorly chosen pilot can become an internal political problem.
Alex Albon : abandoned too early, recovered too late. Albon perfectly embodies one of the great paradoxes Red BullDeemed insufficient in the face of VerstappenHe was sidelined… before being reborn elsewhere. His subsequent success raises a simple but disturbing question: does Red Bull still know how to develop its own drivers?
Daniil Kvyat The third chance that should never have existed. Demoted, then recalled by default, Kvyat returns home Toro Rosso in 2019 For lack of a better option. His experience is useful, but the message is terrible: the talent pool is empty. Red Bull is no longer building, it's recycling.
Perhaps Red Bull's biggest blunder: letting Carlos Sainz go... twice (2017 and 2025)
2017: The year of total chaos: across Kvyat, HartleyWith constant changes and rushed decisions, the 2017 season was a strategic disaster. The Austrian brand gave the impression of a team improvising week after week, without a clear vision.
Pierre Gasly : the first real victim of the era VerstappenPromoted too early to 2019crushed by the pressure, gasly He was unceremoniously demoted after half a season. History would prove him right: he would go on to win elsewhere. Red BullShe, however, will confirm an unwritten rule: if you are not Max, you are replaceable.
Brendon Hartley : the symptom of a program running out of steam. World endurance champion, Hartley He arrived in F1 almost by accident. Competent, serious, but clearly a backup plan. His arrival confirms one thing: the Red Bull junior program is no longer producing enough talent.
Liam Lawson: The mistake was revealed in two races. Chosen for 2025 instead of tsunodaLawson was demoted after only two Grands Prix. A sudden reversal that reveals a worrying inability to assess the true potential of its drivers. Red Bull hesitated, panicked… and made urgent corrections.
Nyck de Vries : the impulsive signature. Driven by an isolated performance, De Vries is recruited and then fired ten races later. Helmut Marko Red Bull himself will call it a "big mistake." Too late: the damage is done. Red Bull is acting without a safety net, without patience, without a plan.
Carlos Sainz : The major strategic error. It's the most costly mistake. Letting Sainz leave in 2017, then refusing to bring him back in 2025 for fear of upsetting Verstappen, is now perceived as a historical mistake. The red bull preferred internal stability to pure performance… before paying dearly for a Perez in decline, both financially and in terms of sporting performance.
Conclusion? Red Bull, world champion… but at what cost? It leaves behind a long list of shortened careers, shattered talents, and decisions made in haste rather than with vision. The question is no longer whether Red Bull knows how to win.
The real question now is this: Red Bull Does it still know how to build pilots, or only how to use them? By 2026, Hadjar And as a new era begins, history will judge whether the team has finally learned from its past… or if other mistakes are already on the way…
