Red Bull Racing staff "tense up" when team chiefs Christian Horner or Helmut Marko enter the room, according to F1 journalist Nate Saunders.
Speaking on ESPN's Unlapped podcast, Saunders described a "weird vibe" at the team's hospitality area.
"Marko will walk in or Horner will walk in and you can see people tense up a little bit. There is a bizarre atmosphere down there," he said.
The Milton Keynes-based team has been struggling with internal issues since early 2024.
Red Bull Racing staff reportedly "tense up" when team chiefs Christian Horner or Helmut Marko enter the room
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This performance drop has coincided with a noticeable decline on track, with the RB21 falling from the dominant car of previous seasons.
The team's 2025 challenger is now considered only the fourth fastest on the grid behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
The internal tensions behind the scenes appear to be affecting their competitive edge.
Several high-profile figures have departed Red Bull over the past year, including renowned F1 engineer Adrian Newey.
Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley has also left the team amid the internal turmoil.
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Christian Horner was always adamant he'd be able to clear his name with the Red Bull chief firmly denying the allegations before being clearedGETTYThese exits have coincided with the team's struggles both on and off the track.
The string of departures followed allegations of "inappropriate behaviour" against Horner by a female employee, which became public in February 2024.
Horner has consistently denied these allegations and was twice cleared by an independent investigation.
The dispute between Horner and Max Verstappen's father Jos dates back to these allegations that emerged in late 2023.
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This has created visible tension within the team environment.
Saunders noted that when Jos Verstappen is present, the atmosphere becomes even more strained.
"Especially when Jos Verstappen's in town as well, because you have all of these big figures down at Red Bull and you can tell they're just kind of side-eyeing each other," he explained.
Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, now faces a tough challenge to retain his title in 2025.
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Despite achieving a shock win at the Japanese Grand Prix, he currently sits eight points behind drivers' championship leader Lando Norris.
Verstappen, who revealed during the off-season that he is set to become a father, has had to block out the explosive rows between his dad and Horner.
His relationship with team principal Horner has been widely speculated upon, with many suggesting he could seek a new challenge elsewhere.
The team recently made a controversial driver change, dropping Liam Lawson after just two races in favour of Yuki Tsunoda from their sister team.
In the hours following this decision, Verstappen liked an Instagram post accusing Red Bull of "bullying" Lawson.
Max Verstappen's father, Jos, is believed to have a tense relationship with Christian Horner
GettyTsunoda struggled in his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix, qualifying poorly and finishing 12th.
However, the Japanese driver did manage to reach Q3 and score points in Bahrain last weekend.
Verstappen's recent performance in Bahrain saw him qualify in P7 and finish sixth in the race.
He crossed the line half a minute behind winner Oscar Piastri, with both poor pit stops and the car's lack of performance contributing to the deficit.
