Top Red Bull figure could be next to leave, claims former mechanic

The recent departure of Gianpiero Lambiase, who is set to join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer from 2028, has once again put the spotlight on a long-running and highly sensitive issue at Red Bull, the growing list of senior figures who have gradually walked away from the team.

Since 2023, Red Bull have lost almost all the key personnel who helped turn the outfit into one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 over the past two decades.

Adding to that is the delicate situation surrounding Max Verstappen, who has grown increasingly frustrated with the current direction of Formula 1 and its regulations, and has made it clear he is seriously considering his future.

Speaking on the Two Mechanics podcast, Handkammer, who served as Red Bull’s chief mechanic from 2006 to 2014, believes the exodus might be set to continue: “It looks like Hannah Schmitz is rumoured to go too, all these massive key people and talks are there’s going to be more. That’s a real head scratcher. How do you reconfigure the team?”

However, GPblog understands that the rumours surrounding Schmitz's position are unfounded.

Red Bull’s first major loss came in 2023, when Rob Marshall brought an end to a long-standing stint that had begun back in 2006. In his role as chief engineering officer, he was instrumental in delivering six constructors’ titles alongside Adrian Newey. Marshall later joined McLaren, where he has since emerged as a key figure behind the team’s recent run of success as chief designer.

An even more significant blow followed with the departure of Adrian Newey, widely considered the standout name on the technical side. The British designer, who had been with the team since 2006 as chief technical officer, was the mastermind behind several of the most dominant cars in Formula 1 history. His exit was confirmed in 2024 before being finalised in 2025, when he made the switch to Aston Martin, a move that reverberated across the paddock.