Key Max Verstappen mechanic resigns over change in ‘working atmosphere’ at Red Bull

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Red Bull have been further depleted by the reported departure of senior mechanic Ole Schack. The news comes only weeks after chief designer Craig Skinner left the team.

While this isn’t a loss on the scale of Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley or Will Courtenay, it is a concerning development nonetheless for Red Bull and one that will inevitably be linked to the uncertainty around Max Verstappen’s future.

Last year saw the end of the long-serving Christian Horner and Helmut Marko duopoly, with the former sacked in July and the latter departing by mutual consent at the end of the season.

The clearest indication yet that Max Verstappen could quit F1

Erik van Haren of De Telegraaf broke the story

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Red Bull mechanic Ole Schack is latest to quit F1 team

According to F1-Insider, veteran mechanic Schack has handed in his resignation. He has been with the team for over 20 years, but he is unhappy with ‘a change in the team’s working atmosphere’.

This indicates that the mood is ‘threatening to turn sour’ in the Red Bull garage. Laurent Mekies, Horner’s successor, was widely praised for his instant impact last season, but the team have started 2026 poorly.

With three races gone, they have scored just 16 points, leaving them level with Alpine in sixth place. Hampered by two DNFs, they still haven’t notched a double points finish.

• READ MORE: Max Verstappen will have a three-month window to use Red Bull release clause if 2026 woes persist

Schack, a founding member of Red Bull after they bought Jaguar, worked as the lead mechanic for Sebastian Vettel and has served as a front-end mechanic for Verstappen.

Matt Caller, who oversaw all of the mechanics on the Dutchman’s side of the garage, recently worked his last shift before a move to Audi.

Nine more staff who have left Red Bull F1 team

While the headlines will naturally focus on the leadership, the turnover within Red Bull’s rank-and-file is notable.

When Horner left, marketing specialist Oliver Hughes and communications director Paul Smith went with him. Those departments saw further change at the start of 2026 with the exits of Alice Hedworth, Joanna Fleet, Julia George and Simon Smith-Wright.

On the racing side, Michael Manning, one of Verstappen’s most valued engineers, left last December, while Tom Hart will follow him out after accepting an offer from Williams.

Crucially, Gianpiero Lambiase agreed to stay at Red Bull after Newey offered him the chance to become Aston Martin team principal.

Perhaps this level of upheaval is normal and only receives coverage because it supports the narrative of change at Red Bull. But compared to their 2021-24 pomp, Verstappen’s team looks very different, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if that was a factor in his discontent.