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Guenther Steiner has seen enough of Red Bull's recent history to know that rebuilding a fallen giant takes considerably longer than the people outside the garage tend to assume. His message to anyone expecting a quick turnaround under Laurent Mekies is straightforward: be patient, because this will take time.
How the Decline Happened
Steiner traced the roots of Red Bull's current situation to the period that followed their 2023 dominance, when the team won 21 of 22 races. As the results started to slip, the atmosphere inside the team changed, and with that came a wave of departures at the senior level. "I think it was a combination of factors. They were no longer winning, so the criticism of Christian Horner was that he was not doing a good job. Everyone got nervous and people saw opportunities," he said on the Drive to Wynn podcast.
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The names that left are not easy to replace. Adrian Newey departed. Jonathan Wheatley left for Aston Martin. Gianpiero Lambiase will be at McLaren in two years. "There are quite a few people who have left," Steiner acknowledged. He was measured about whether that is unusual. "That happens, and I am sure Laurent is focused on that now."
Mekies Needs Time, Not Pressure
Steiner's core point was that recovery from that level of institutional disruption cannot be rushed. "He cannot recover in six months what happened in the past 24 months. He is not a magician. If they give Laurent enough time, he will fix it. He will bring his own people in and try to find young talent that wants to work at Red Bull and make the team successful again."
The timeline Steiner had in mind was not one that would satisfy Red Bull's most impatient supporters. "It will take a while. They cannot expect to be the dominant or all-powerful team again within a year or two." Formula 1 returns from its break on 3 May in Miami. Red Bull will be hoping for early signs of progress, but Steiner's assessment is that the rebuild is measured in years, not races.
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