Blindsided rumour rocks Formula 1 team Red Bull to its core

Formula 1 team Red Bull are in the midst of chaos after damning rumours swirled in the wake of their bombshell driver decision.

Max Verstappen was reportedly blindsided by Red Bull’s move. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

A former F1 driver has expressed his shock over Red Bull’s decision to keep Sergio Perez — a decision that is rumoured to have even blindsided Max Verstappen.

Meanwhile, an auto giant is reportedly in “turmoil” with a major snub this week becoming the brand’s latest blow.

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‘SIMPLY BAD’: SHOCK OVER RED BULL’S PEREZ CALL

Former driver Giedo van der Garde says he’s astonished by Red Bull’s decision to keep Sergio Perez, saying swapping the Mexican with Daniel Ricciardo is the “most logical” choice.

The axe dangled over Perez heading into F1’s mid-season break, but Red Bull this week made the surprising decision to stay patient with the struggling driver for when racing resumes.

It has meant no changes at Red Bull or VCARB, with Ricciardo asked to continue re-proving his worth in the back-end of the season with Perez still no certainty for 2025.

Former driver Giedo van der Garde says he’s astonished by Red Bull’s decision to keep Sergio Perez.

Nonetheless, van der Garde described the decision to not make a quicker call on Perez’s fate as “not Red Bull-like”.

“I find it unbelievable,” he told the DRS podcast.

“I think it is a choice that is not Red Bull-like. Red Bull never gives someone such a long chance if they do not perform.

“If you are allowed to start second in Spa and you finish seventh… The speed in the race was simply bad.”

Van der Garde said that Red Bull erred in not making a swap, and when asked if Ricciardo or Liam Lawson should’ve got the nod, he sided with the Australian.

“If you had to choose to replace Perez, the most logical choice would be to put Ricciardo in. Purely for the experience and the energy he brings, because he would be a great second driver next to Max,” he said.

VERSTAPPEN FAMILY ‘SURPRISED’ BY RED BULL 180: REPORT

Van der Garde’s reaction comes amid a report from veteran German F1 reporter Ralf Bach, who claims that the Verstappen camp was left blindsided by the Perez decision.

Writing in F1 Insider, Bach wrote that Verstappen was allegedly told after the Belgian Grand Prix that Perez would be “gone”, only to have the situation change hours later.

A report from Germany claims that the Verstappen camp was left blindsided by the Perez decision.

“Even the Verstappen family was surprised .. both Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and chief advisor Helmut Marko gave them clear statements: ‘Perez is gone, Max Verstappen will get a new teammate at the first race after the summer break at the home race in Zandvoort.’,” Bach claimed.

“That was the unanimous message...

“Verstappen and co. were all the more surprised when they heard about the 180-degree turnaround by the Red Bull decision-makers on Monday evening.”

AUTO GIANT LEFT IN ‘TURMOIL’

Audi’s F1 project is said to be in “turmoil” having missed out on landing a big driver following Carlos Sainz’s decision to join minnows Williams instead.

Sainz had been heavily linked to spearheading the F1 entry of Audi — a brand, with strong ties to his rally legend father, that will take over Sauber.

But in Sainz choosing Williams on a multi-year deal, the project has been dealt a major “vote of no confidence”, Sky Sports’ Chris Slater said.

Audi’s F1 project is said to be in “turmoil” having missed out on Carlos Sainz.

“For him to walk away from that when it seemed the most obvious place for him to go is a clear sign that things are not right there,” Slater said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“I spoke to someone who has a good window on what the goings on are like currently at that team.

“He’s not saying anything which isn’t obvious, but he described it to me as a mess and observed that this is a team that can’t even put a wheel on a car properly at the moment.

“So the turmoil at the top is reflective of things going badly wrong at the moment.”

Originally published as Blindsided rumour rocks Formula 1 team Red Bull to its core