Bourdais, Kvyat, Ricciardo… The victims of the Red Bull method in F1

Christian klien

Retired after 15 Grands Prix in 2006

© Gilles Levant / DPPI

Along with David Coulthard, Christian Klien is the first driver in the team's history Red Bull Racing. Kept in 2005 during the Jaguar – Red Bull transition, the Austrian suffers from the comparison with his Scottish teammate, more experienced and above all more efficient.

In August 2006, a few weeks after the Austrian team's first podium in Monaco thanks to David Coulthard, Red Bull announced to Christian Klien that their association would end at the end of the season, to place Mark Webber in 2007 (as part of a global deal between Red Bull, Flavio Briatore – then Mark Webber's agent – ​​and Renault for the supply of French engines). If Red Bull offers the Austrian a seat in Champ Car or in DTM, Christian Klien refused, and the team decided to dismiss him before the end of the 2006 season.

Scott Speed

Dismissed after 10 Grands Prix in 2007

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The sulphurous Scott Speed, who does not live up to his name very well, had an eventful adventure in Formula 1 with the Red Bull clan. When he arrived in F1, at Toro Rosso In 2006, the American was one of the first drivers to come from the Red Bull Junior Team. For his first season (and the first for Toro Rosso, which had just bought the modest Minardi team), the Californian could not shine and finished the championship without a point, unlike his teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi who managed the feat of bringing back a point at Faenza.

The next year, again : Scott Speed ​​is stuck at the bottom of the standings… and the American is starting to annoy with his behavior and lack of professionalism in the paddock. The breaking point comes in the summer when, after yet another retirement at the Nürburgring, the driver allegedly had an altercation with Franz Tost, the team boss, even making the argument public. Before the Hungarian Grand Prix, Red Bull decides to replace him with the promising Sebastian Vettel, and he will be released from his contract a few days later.

Sebastien Bourdais

Dismissed after 9 Grand Prix in 2009

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Four-time Champ Car champion in the United States, Sébastien Bourdais got his chance in Formula 1 thanks to Red Bull who, after several tests, placed him aboard the Toro Rosso in 2008 alongside Sebastian Vettel. Unfortunately, the transition between the two categories was not as easy as expected for the Le Mans native, who was suffering in F1… and facing his German teammate, who in 2008 brought home the first victory for a Red Bull-branded car in Formula 1.

Often accompanied by bad luck, the Frenchman was nevertheless reappointed in 2009, this time supported by Sébastien Buemi. However, with a less powerful car than his predecessor, Sébastien Bourdais was unable to progress while his teammate seemed to be performing better. In the summer, Toro Rosso decided to thank the Tricolore. Franz Tost, the Italian team's principal director, then confided that the partnership with the driver had not met his expectations. The Le Mans native was replaced from the Hungarian Grand Prix by the young Jaime Alguersuari.

Daniil Kvyat

Demoted to Toro Rosso after 4 Grands Prix in 2016, then sidelined after 14 Grands Prix in 2017

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Perhaps the most notable example on this list: Daniil Kvyat, another Red Bull Junior Team product, arrived in F1 in 2014 at the age of just 19, with Toro Rosso. After a convincing first season – even if he finished 14 points behind Jean-Éric Vergne – he was directly promoted to Red Bull, who were looking for a replacement for Sebastian Vettel, who had left for Ferrari.

The 2015 campaign is not as beautiful as expected: the car, equipped with a somewhat weak Renault engine at the start of the hybrid era, was not efficient and the Austrian team did not achieve any victories, a first since 2009. However, Daniil Kvyat finished ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in the championship.

In 2016, despite a podium in China, Daniil Kvyat distinguished himself with his numerous blunders, particularly in Russia where he hit Sebastian Vettel twice. The German would go on to give him the nickname "Torpedo", the torpedo to emphasize his aggressiveness during starts in particular. Before the Spanish Grand Prix, the 5th round of the season, a dramatic turn of events: Red Bull decided to swap seats between Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen, then at Toro Rosso! The Dutchman won his first Grand Prix in Barcelona, ​​while the Russian, affected by this demotion, was no longer able to perform as well as before.

Faced with the arrival of Pierre Gasly, GP2 Series champion in 2016, Daniil Kvyat lost his place again before the end of the 2017 season, replaced by the Frenchman. However, he will return in 2020 for a final season with AlphaTauri.

Pierre Gasly

Demoted to Toro Rosso after 12 Grands Prix in 2019

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During his first full season in Formula 1, in 2018, Pierre Gasly surprised with some brilliant performances at Toro Rosso, equipped with a Honda engine that was not (yet) up to the competition. His links with the Japanese engine manufacturer and his good performances were enough for Red Bull to place him alongside Max Verstappen in the parent team in 2019. Unfortunately, things quickly turned sour: the Frenchman struggled to keep up with the level set by the Dutchman and lacked confidence in the Austrian machine, as shown by his big accident during winter testing in Barcelona.

At the summer break, Pierre Gasly was already 118 points behind Max Verstappen and while the Dutchman already had two wins to his name at the halfway point of the season, the Frenchman had still not secured a single podium. Running out of patience, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko decided to demote the Norman to Toro Rosso and promote Alexander albon at Red Bull. Unlike Daniil Kvyat, the Rouen native managed to remobilize, going on to secure an incredible podium in Brazil at the end of the season, then the following year, an exceptional victory at Monza with AlphaTauri, the Italian team's 2nd victory in F1.

Nyck de Vries

Licensed after 10 Grands Prix in 2023

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This is the latest case on this list, although this should change shortly with Daniel Ricciardo. In order to replace a departing Pierre Gasly at Alpine, and faced with the lack of potential drivers for F1 in its academy, the Red Bull clan decides to look for a driver outside its own fold to place him at AlphaTauri. After having long hoped for Colton Herta, Red Bull and Helmut Marko finally choose Nyck de Vries, champion of Formula 2 and Formula E and impressive during his freelance work with Williams in 2022.

At 28, the Dutchman finally gets the opportunity of a lifetime in 2023… but the adventure will be very short-lived. Nyck de Vries is not at the level of Yuki tsunoda and, in trying to compensate for his lack of pace, makes many mistakes. With the pressure from Helmut Marko not helping, the Dutchman fails to convince. It's too much for the Red Bull clan, who decide to fire him before the halfway point and replace him with a former member of the house... a certain Daniel Ricciardo.

A year later, the Aussie has also fallen victim to Red Bull's harsh law. Far from the hopes placed in him in the summer of 2023 when he returned to service, Danny Ric' has never managed to regain his former glory. Dominated by his teammate Yuki Tsunoda both in qualifying and in the race, the latter was unable to resist his management's desire for change. Singapore was therefore his last appearance with Racing Bulls while Liam Lawson will replace him in Austin (October 18-20). It remains to be seen whether we will even see him in the paddock again in the future…

© Antonin Vincent / DPPI

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