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After being the face of Red Bull for more than two decades, Christian Horner has been removed as the team's CEO. The decision came into effect immediately, and he will be replaced by Laurent Mekies, the former boss of sister team Racing Bulls.
This move comes at a time when Red Bull is going through probably the most difficult period in the last ten years. They are currently fourth in the Constructors' Championship, and the 2025 season is not going as expected. Although 27-year-old Max Verstappen has managed to score a few wins, the team's overall performance is far below the level their fans are used to.
A big blow for the team was the departure of Adrian Newey to Aston Martin, as well as the loss of Jonathan Wheatley, who moved to Sauber.
Max Verstappen's future
Precisely because of these changes, Max Verstappen's future in the team is no longer so certain, although he has a valid contract until 2028. There are mentions of special clauses that could be activated already at the end of July, and the interest of Mercedes only further fuels the speculation.
Mekies, taking on the role, stated:
"For the last year and a half it has been an absolute privilege to lead the team together with Peter. It has been an incredible journey where I have had the opportunity to contribute to the creation of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people."
He added that the spirit of the team is incredible and expressed his belief that real successes are yet to come. The role of Racing Bulls boss is now being taken over by Alan Permane, who will work alongside Peter Bayer.
Permane said:
"It is a great honor for me to take on the role of team boss and I would like to thank Oliver and Helmut for their trust. This is a new challenge for me, but I know that I can count on the support of everyone within the team."
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