Max Verstappen ally 'set to leave Red Bull' in fresh blow to team
A key member of Max Verstappen's inner circle is set to leave Red Bull following the Japanese Grand Prix, it has been reported.
Verstappen had another difficult weekend in Suzuka, qualifying in 11th place before finishing eighth.
He spent much of the race in an unsuccessful tussle with Alpine's Pierre Gasly for seventh, with the French driver ultimately coming out on top.
Red Bull have had to manage issues with battery deployment in the opening three races of 2026, and they are comfortably off the pace of leading teams Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
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Verstappen refused to rule out leaving Formula 1 altogether following the race on Saturday, but stressed that his concerns are purely related to the driveability of the cars under new 2026 regulations rather than Red Bull's lack of pace.
Now, Red Bull are facing a fresh blow, with reports that Verstappen's number two mechanic, Ole Schack, has resigned from his role.
German outlet F1-Insider claim that the Dane, who has been with Red Bull since its first year in 2005, has decided to quit over 'a change in the team's working atmosphere'.
It is unclear whether his decision relates to a raft of high-profile departures from Red Bull over the past 18 months, including sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and advisor Helmut Marko, or Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff's increased involvement in the running of the team following the death of company founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
Schack joined what was then the Jaguar Racing team in 2004, before the Red Bull takeover later that year.
He worked alongside drivers David Coulthard and Sebastian Vettel between 2005 and 2014, before taking on mechanic duties for Daniil Kvyat and then Verstappen on the same side of the Red Bull garage.
Verstappen's number one mechanic, Matt Caller, left Red Bull at the end of 2025 to join Audi, with Jon Caller - Matt's twin - replacing him in the role this season.
The Dutchman's team is headed by Gianpiero Lambiase, who is head of race engineering for Red Bull but also serves as Verstappen's lead engineer.
SPORTbible have contacted Red Bull Racing for comment.
What Verstappen said about potential F1 retirement
Verstappen, who has competed in GT3 racing so far this year and is scheduled to race at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in May, says that he is simply not enjoying racing in F1 in 2026.
The 28-year-old, whose partner Kelly Piquet gave birth to their first child last year, told BBC Sport in Suzuka: "Privately I'm very happy. You also wait for 24 races. This time it's 22, but normally 24.
"And then you just think about, is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you're not enjoying your sport?
"I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment that's not really the case.
"Of course I do enjoy certain aspects. I enjoy working with my team. It's like a second family. But once I sit in the car, it's not the most enjoyable unfortunately. I'm trying.
"I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am. Because I also know that you can't be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time.
"But at the same time, when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn't feel natural to be a racing driver ... it's not nice the way you have to race. It's anti-driving.
"Then at one point, yeah, it's just not what I want to do."
Topics:Â Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1
Ryan Smart