Michael Manning, a long-serving Red Bull veteran and close ally of Max Verstappen, has officially joined Williams as chief engineer for trackside engineering, marking another high-profile departure from the reigning constructors' champions. Manning spent 15 years with Red Bull, starting in 2011 during Sebastian Vettel's dominant era, and later worked as Verstappen's controls engineer, overseeing the car's starts—a role that has become increasingly scrutinised as Red Bull struggles with poor getaways this season.
Manning's new role at Williams
Announcing his move on social media, Manning wrote: "I'm delighted to share that I've begun a new challenge as Atlassian Williams F1 Team's chief engineer – trackside engineering. Williams' engineering heritage is among the most storied in Formula 1. With nine constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles to its name, it remains one of the sport's truly iconic teams." He added: "However, it is the ambition for the future that drew me to this role. There is a genuine hunger at Grove to return to the sharp end of the grid and I am looking forward to ensuring the outstanding work at the factory translates into clinical execution at the circuit."
Red Bull's start woes
Manning's absence from Red Bull has been felt acutely this season, with both Verstappen and teammate Isack Hadjar complaining about the team's inability to execute clean starts. At the recent Silverstone Sprint race, Verstappen suffered a poor start, while Hadjar fumed afterwards: "We can't get starts, we just don't understand it. There's no point going to a race if you know you're going to lose four places straight away. In my case, I lost even more than that. It's shocking, all the time."
Impact on Red Bull's performance
Commentating on first practice in Belgium, David Croft speculated that Manning's departure could be a contributing factor to Red Bull's struggles. He said: "Michael Manning, who was an engineer at Red Bull who I believe was responsible for the starts, has turned up at Williams with the title of chief engineer of trackside. He's been tending to his garden for much of the season so far. Whether that has had any bearing on some of the starts we've seen from Red Bull or not, I don't know. But Williams have got themselves a very fine member of staff there, to be honest, as they add to their engineering group."
Manning's career and legacy
Manning began his Red Bull career in 2011, working with Vettel during his four consecutive championship wins, and later became a key figure in Verstappen's title campaigns. His move to Williams reunites him with drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, with whom he previously worked earlier in his career. Manning noted: "Joining at such a significant point in the team's journey, particularly as we approach Williams' 50th anniversary, makes this opportunity even more meaningful. It's a real highlight to be working alongside Carlos and Alex again."
