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Red Bull Undergoes Major Staff Revamp Ahead of 2026 Formula 1 Season
By Hugo Harvey
Red Bull Racing has continued its sweeping internal reset ahead of Formula 1’s transformative 2026 regulations, with a significant number of senior and long-serving staff members departing the Milton Keynes-based organisation. The latest changes underline how deeply the team is reshaping itself following the shock dismissal of former team principal Christian Horner last year, a moment that marked the end of one of the most successful eras in modern F1 history.
After two decades at the helm, Horner was removed from his position in July, just days after the British Grand Prix, sending shockwaves through the paddock. His exit did not come in isolation. Two other senior figures closely aligned with his leadership structure — Oliver Hughes, Red Bull’s group chief marketing and commercial officer, and Paul Smith, the group communications director — were also shown the door as part of what insiders described as a decisive break from the past. Those early moves have now been followed by a broader administrative overhaul that reaches deep into the organisation’s corporate and operational backbone.
Among the most senior figures to depart is Joanna Fleet, a highly influential presence within Red Bull for 13 years. Fleet originally joined the company as an HR manager before steadily rising through the ranks to become head of human resources and later the group’s human resources director. Her long tenure meant she was closely involved in shaping Red Bull Racing’s internal culture during its championship-dominant years, and her exit signals a fundamental shift in how the team wants to operate moving forward.
Further departures include Julia George, who has stepped away from her role as director of partnerships, and Simon Smith-Wright, the group marketing director. Both positions are central to Red Bull’s commercial and brand identity, an area in which the team has traditionally been one of the strongest in Formula 1. Their exits suggest that Red Bull is not merely making performance-focused changes on the technical side, but is also rethinking how it presents itself commercially as it prepares for a new era of the sport.
Communications has also been heavily affected. Senior communications manager Alice Hedworth has left the organisation after playing a prominent role in Red Bull’s media operations, particularly as a key PR figure for Sergio Pérez during the Mexican driver’s time with the team. With Pérez no longer part of Red Bull’s future plans and the team entering a new competitive cycle, the reshaping of its communications department appears closely aligned with broader strategic changes.
These moves come at a critical time for Red Bull as Formula 1 edges closer to the 2026 season, when new power unit regulations, revised aerodynamic rules, and a greater emphasis on electrical power will redefine the competitive order. Red Bull’s in-house power unit project, Red Bull Powertrains, is central to its long-term ambitions, especially as it prepares to run its own engines in partnership with Ford. Ensuring the right leadership and administrative structure is in place is viewed internally as just as important as technical innovation.
The timing of the staff revamp has also drawn attention in light of last week’s five-day Formula 1 test in Barcelona, which offered early hints about how teams are positioning themselves for the future. While Red Bull kept a relatively low profile during the running, rivals such as McLaren and Aston Martin generated headlines. McLaren’s upgrade philosophy sparked discussion among paddock observers, while Aston Martin’s striking AMR26 concept attracted significant attention, fuelling speculation about potential shifts in the competitive landscape.
Veteran F1 journalists Ian Parkes and Nick Golding noted that the Barcelona test underlined how teams are already thinking beyond the current season, experimenting with ideas that could influence development paths toward 2026. Against that backdrop, Red Bull’s internal restructuring takes on added significance. The team is clearly intent on ensuring that its off-track organisation is as finely tuned as its on-track operations.
While Red Bull has not publicly detailed who will replace the departing staff members, the scale and seniority of the exits point to a deliberate strategy rather than isolated changes. With a new leadership vision taking shape after Horner’s departure, the team appears determined to redefine its identity, streamline decision-making, and position itself strongly for the next regulatory cycle.
As Formula 1 prepares for one of the biggest resets in its history, Red Bull’s staff overhaul serves as a reminder that success in the modern era is built not only in wind tunnels and factories, but also in boardrooms and behind-the-scenes structures. The coming months will reveal whether this bold internal shake-up can help sustain Red Bull’s place at the sharp end of the grid when the lights go out in 2026.
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