Schumacher backs Red Bull for 2027 titles—if progress continues

Ralf Schumacher sees Red Bull as the leading contender for the 2027 Formula 1 titles, provided the team continues its current progress. On the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, the former driver said Red Bull appears to understand its new car concept and where it can improve.

Red Bull introduced updates to the RB22 in Azerbaijan, and Max Verstappen has since won twice in a row. Schumacher said Red Bull is currently the only team bringing an update that works; he said McLaren had not managed the same, while Ferrari and Mercedes were struggling.

Schumacher's reasoning goes beyond the new parts: he credited the combination of engine, chassis and Verstappen, and described the Red Bull Ford power unit as particularly powerful. He also pointed to progress in energy management. Red Bull and Verstappen had sometimes disagreed over how to use electrical energy, he said, but eventually agreed on a shared strategy. Schumacher recalled Silverstone, where Verstappen's battery was empty at the end while Nico Hülkenberg still had energy; he said Red Bull had learned quickly in that area.