Veteran Mechanic Ole Schack Resigns as Exodus of Senior Personnel Destabilizes Red Bull Racing

Senior mechanic Ole Schack leaves Red Bull after 21 years, marking another high-profile departure as the team's internal morale and F1 performance decline.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 6, 2026, 4:30 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PlanetF1

The End of a Perfect Attendance Record

Ole Schack, the only member of Red Bull’s trackside personnel to have attended every single Grand Prix since the team’s 2005 debut, is preparing to depart Milton Keynes. Schack’s tenure predates the Red Bull era, stretching back to the squad’s roots as Jaguar. Alongside former team boss Christian Horner, Schack held a perfect attendance record for over two decades, famously even working through the 2012 Singapore Grand Prix shortly after the passing of his father. His departure marks the loss of one of the most experienced technical minds in Max Verstappen's immediate garage crew.

Shifting Culture Drives Veteran Departure

According to reports, Schack’s decision to seek a "new challenge" is heavily influenced by the seismic changes in the team’s working environment following the axing of Christian Horner last July. The Danish mechanic cited a notable shift in the atmosphere and internal culture under the new leadership of Laurent Mekies and CEO Oliver Mintzlaff. As the connections to the original era overseen by Dietrich Mateschitz continue to erode, long-term staff members are reportedly finding the new corporate structure increasingly unrecognizable.

A Growing List of High-Profile Exits

Schack is the latest in a string of senior figures to leave the Milton Keynes factory since the start of the 2026 regulation cycle. Over the winter break, the team lost long-time advisor Helmut Marko, while chief designer Craig Skinner recently stepped down from his post. The exodus extends to Verstappen’s specific car crew, with mechanic Matt Caller joining Audi and his brother, Jon Caller, also tendering his resignation. These technical losses are compounded by a vacuum in the front office, following the February departures of the directors of Human Resources, Marketing, Partnerships, and Communications.