Red Bull Racing faces a difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, and former driver Ralf Schumacher believes the team will need patience to return to the top. The German stated that the team is undergoing a reconstruction process and that recovery could take a few years.
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Performance well below expectations in the first races reinforces the team’s complicated moment. The best result so far was sixth place at the season opener in Australia, followed by two races finishing only in eighth place, in China and Japan, and some retirements.
As a result, Red Bull currently occupies sixth position in the constructors’ championship, a very different scenario from the end of 2025, when the team was among the main forces on the grid. The drop in performance coincides with several internal changes that occurred over the last year.
Among these changes, the most recent departure was that of Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer, confirmed last week. The loss of key professionals is seen as one of the factors contributing to the team’s current phase.
Schumacher believes the Milton Keynes-based team has the capacity to recover, but stressed that the process will take time: “Red Bull is going through a reconstruction, which in my opinion will take two to three years,” the former driver stated in an interview with German Sky.
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The German also highlighted the importance of strategic hires during this phase: “They need to have a good eye for talent when it comes to hiring new people and building a new Red Bull. But I believe that Red Bull Racing, as a young and dynamic team, is capable of carrying out this reconstruction again,” he said.
Schumacher further reinforced that patience will be fundamental for the return to competitiveness: “They just need to be patient,” he added.
Meanwhile, Verstappen has already been linked to a possible departure from the team given the current situation. According to Schumacher, although losing the Dutch driver would be a blow, it could also free up important resources. The German stated that this would open up significant financial space: “It could certainly be invested in personnel who are urgently needed at the moment,” he added.
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