Senior Exodus Continues at Red Bull Racing Ahead of 2026

Red Bull Racing has seen another wave of senior administrative staff depart its Milton Keynes headquarters, continuing a significant organizational shake-up that began with the dismissal of former team principal Christian Horner. The latest exits affect key departments like communications, marketing, and human resources as the team streamlines operations for the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Why it matters:

The sustained loss of experienced leadership and institutional knowledge from non-technical but critical support functions could disrupt team stability and commercial operations. This comes at a pivotal time as Red Bull prepares for a major regulatory change in 2026 and aims to defend its championship dominance against resurgent rivals like Ferrari and McLaren.

The details:

• The latest departures include at least four senior figures from administrative roles, following the earlier exits of Group CMO Oliver Hughes and Group Communications Director Paul Smith.
• Key Departures: Those who have recently left are Director of Partnerships Julia George (2022-2025), Group Marketing Director Simon Smith-Wright (appointed Dec 2024), Senior Communications Manager Alice Hedworth (2021-2025), and long-serving HR Director for Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology, Joanna Fleet (2013-2025).
• The exits originate from similar corporate functions, suggesting a targeted restructuring of the team's commercial and operational backbone rather than its technical department.
• Separate Technical Blow: In a parallel development, Ferrari has successfully poached a key technical figure, Head of Vehicle Performance Guillaume Dezoteux, from sister team Racing Bulls after his 18-year tenure within the Red Bull organization.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to how Red Bull manages this transition and fills the vacant roles. The team must ensure the internal restructuring does not affect its on-track performance or commercial partnerships. With 2026 representing a clean-sheet regulatory opportunity for all teams, maintaining operational excellence and stability in all departments is more crucial than ever for sustaining a competitive edge.