Senior Red Bull Racing figure leaves F1 team weeks before new season
The period of personnel upheaval continued at the Red Bull Formula 1 team on Tuesday with the departure of chief designer Craig Skinner.
Skinner had been with the outfit for 20 years and his departure follows in the footsteps of the likes of design guru Adrian Newey and former Team Principal Christian Horner in leaving the outfit after long stints with the former constructors’ champions.
“Craig has been an integral part of our team and its success,” Red Bull said, “and we would like to thank him for his hard work and commitment. The whole Red Bull team wishes him all the best for the future.”
The team heads into its first full season without Horner after the former bigwig left the team after a string of issues, including disagreements with Jos Verstappen – the father of former Formula 1 champion Max – and accusations of inappropriate behaviour, which he has always denied.
Red Bull Racing upheaval
His vacant role, according to Formula 1, is believed to be taken on internally in the interim but the departure comes just weeks before the opening race of the season in Australia on 8 March.
Horner could find himself back in the paddock sooner rather than later, however, with reports this month suggesting he is in discussions with Pimco – which counts former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown as chair of its global advisory board – to purchase a £450m stake in French team Alpine.
Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko announced he was leaving the team in December of last year while former sporting director Jonathan Wheatley left the team at the end of 2024.
The former head of strategy Will Courtenay joined McLaren last year with chief engineering officer Rob Marshall also leaving in recent seasons.
Red Bull showed a resurgent spirit in the second half of last season having opened the year way behind eventual champions McLaren.