To say Red Bull Racing is having a rough time lately would be putting it mildly. The sudden swap between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson has put the team under fire yet again, creating a PR nightmare for both the racing team and the entire Red Bull company.
Sergio Perez likely kept his seat at Red Bull for so long partly because of his commercial value in Mexico, where energy drink sales matter big time. Has the Mexican market collapsed since they dropped him? We don’t have exact numbers, but it can’t be good.
Just check the comments under Red Bull’s social media posts from December. They’re flooded with angry reactions and colorful language. Mexican fans were completely done with the brand.
The storm in Mexico had barely calmed down when another controversy erupted – this time over Lawson’s replacement after just two race weekends.
While New Zealand might not be Red Bull’s biggest market, F1’s global reach means this decision has angered fans worldwide.
The message coming across? Red Bull will throw you under the bus without a second thought – definitely not the image any company wants.
This fits a troubling pattern after a year of turmoil at the team. Between the Lawson and Perez situations and the allegations surrounding team principal Christian Horner’s “inappropriate behavior” toward a female staff member, Red Bull can’t catch a break.
Yes, Horner was cleared by an internal investigation. But in today’s digital world, the damage was already done.
The PR hit has been massive.
A Tarnished Brand
Red Bull used to stand out from other F1 teams – they were the cheeky rebels who championed young talent while dominating the sport. That image wasn’t accidental. It took years to build that brand.
But in just a short time, everything has changed. The Horner scandals, the exodus of senior staff members, and their treatment of drivers have completely transformed how people see Red Bull.
How do they fix this mess?
That’s surely what Red Bull’s PR team is frantically working on right now. After all, their F1 program is supposed to boost the energy drink’s image, not make people dislike the brand and stop buying their products.
The company that once gave you “wings” now seems to be in a dangerous nosedive of its own making.
