Long-time mechanic to Max Verstappen set to leave Red Bull.

The four-time world champion, already struggling with a car he finds undrivable and regulations he finds unworkable, has been dealt a fresh blow with the news that Ole Schack is leaving the Austrian team.

After first entering motorsport in 1999, the Dane worked his way up the ladder until he joined Jaguar in 2004. He remained with the Milton Keynes outfit as it morphed into Red Bull, working with David Coulthard from 2005 to 2008 and Sebastian Vettel from 2009 to 2014.

Now, Schack, who has worked with Verstappen almost from the outset and has become one of the Dutchman's inner circle within the team, and who has never missed a race with Red Bull, is set to leave.

His departure is the latest from the troubled team and is said to be a symptom of the issues within the outfit as morale continues to sink.

Despite the fact that the Horner-saga hung over the team throughout 2024, Red Bull got through it. However, the sacking of the team principal last summer, and the subsequent departure of Helmut Marko has taken its toll.

It is thought that Schack is aiming to remain in F1 and will now face a period of 'gardening leave', however, more importantly, it comes at a critical time for a team which is joint sixth in the standings with Alpine, and only two points ahead of its sister team, its best result thus far being Isack Hadjar's sixth in Melbourne.

Hadjar gave some insight into the mood within the team recently when he was asked about morale.

"It's not good," he admitted. "But everyone's got their heads down to understand what's going on. Hopefully, the next version of the car really makes an effect."