Karun Chandhok warns Red Bull faces brain drain challenge

Former Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok has urged Red Bull's leadership to address an ongoing brain drain at the team. He highlighted the need for cultural changes beyond on-track success to retain staff. This comes amid Red Bull's struggles in the early 2026 season.

Karun Chandhok, a former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst, stated that Red Bull's senior leaders, including team principal Laurent Mekies, have a major task ahead to halt the departure of key personnel. The Milton Keynes-based team has seen high-profile exits in recent years, such as Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, Helmut Marko, and Rob Marshall. Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Chandhok emphasized the importance of team culture, noting that success alone is insufficient to motivate staff to stay despite Red Bull winning six of the last nine grands prix last year and improving their car's performance toward the season's end.

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