Why was Christian Horner sacked as Red Bull F1 team boss?

Christian Horner has been sacked arsenic Red Bull squad main with contiguous effect aft 20 years, the Red Bull Racing Formula One squad announced connected Wednesday.

The 51-year-old oversaw a play of dominance by the team, winning the drivers’ title 8 times – including the past 4 titles with Max Verstappen  – and adding six constructors’ crowns.

Who volition regenerate Horner astatine Red Bull Racing?

Horner, who has been successful complaint of Red Bull since the squad was formed successful 2005, volition beryllium replaced by the main of sister squad Racing Bulls, Laurent Mekies.

A motorsport aerodynamics specialist, the French-born Mekies entered Formula One successful the aboriginal 2000s and had stints moving with Arrows, Minardi, Toro Rosso and Ferrari earlier joining Racing Bulls arsenic squad main successful 2024.

“I deliberation helium has a very, precise bully knowing of the business, having started arsenic an technologist and past worked astatine the FIA,” said Fred Vasseur, existent F1 squad main astatine Ferrari, erstwhile Mekies near the celebrated Italian squad successful July 2023.

Laurent Mekies is the caller squad main of Red Bull Racing aft the daze exit of Christian Horner [File: Alessio Morgese/Stefano Facchin/NurPhoto via Getty Images]

No crushed fixed for Horner sacking

Horner was sacked arsenic Red Bull’s squad main with contiguous effect.

The team’s authoritative media statement, released connected Wednesday, reads:

“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from contiguous [Wednesday, July 9, 2025] and has appointed Laurent Mekies arsenic CEO of Red Bull Racing. Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO Corporate Projects and Investments, thanked Christian Horner for his exceptional enactment implicit the past 20 years.”

“We would similar to convey Christian Horner for his exceptional enactment implicit the past 20 years,” said Mintzlaff. “With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, helium has been instrumental successful establishing Red Bull Racing arsenic 1 of the astir palmy and charismatic teams successful Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you volition everlastingly stay an important portion of our squad history.”

Martin Brundle, an ex-F1 driver, existent contention commentator and person of Horner, told Sky Sports News:

“I americium owed to talk to Christian later. I enactment a connection to him saying, ‘I americium atrocious to work this, tin we person a chat earlier I americium owed to spell connected TV due to the fact that I privation to cognize much astir it from his constituent of view’.

“He wasn’t capable to bash that. What helium did accidental was that nary crushed was fixed to him arsenic to wherefore helium is being released.”

Horner, right, and F1 commentator Martin Brundle chat successful the paddock anterior to qualifying up of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia astatine Albert Park Circuit connected March 23, 2024, successful Melbourne, Australia [Kym Illman/Getty Images]

A hard 18 months for Horner

Horner’s dismissal follows a challenging play connected respective fronts for the squad principal.

His exit from the squad comes astir a year-and-a-half aft it was leaked that a pistillate worker had accused Horner of intersexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour. Horner was doubly cleared of the claims by Red Bull headquarters, situated successful Austria.

At the aforesaid time, Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, called for Horner to permission his presumption and claimed that the Briton’s beingness could teardrop the squad isolated successful a March 4, 2024, interview.

Jos told The Daily Mail that “there is hostility portion helium remains successful position”, referring to Horner.

He added, “The squad is successful information of being torn apart. It can’t spell connected the mode it is. It volition explode. He is playing the unfortunate erstwhile helium is the 1 causing the problems.”

The early-2025 departure of Adrian Newey – the erstwhile main exertion serviceman of Red Bull Racing and wide considered 1 of the top motorsport designers successful F1 – to rival squad Aston Martin was a immense nonaccomplishment to the Milton Keynes-based squad and to Horner personally.

Newey had joined Red Bull successful 2006, conscionable months aft Horner’s appointment, with the brace forming 1 of the astir palmy F1 absorption partnerships successful history.

Horner, who is joined to erstwhile ‘Spice Girls’ popstar Geri Halliwell, right, had been accused of inappropriate behaviour by a pistillate workfellow but was doubly cleared of the claims by the team’s genitor company, Red Bull GmbH [File: James Bearne/Getty Images]

How palmy was Horner arsenic Red Bull boss?

Under Horner’s leadership, Red Bull won their archetypal satellite title successful 2010, with German operator Sebastian Vettel taking the archetypal of 4 consecutive drivers’ titles.

Following a multiyear play of dominance by archrival Mercedes, Red Bull, this clip with Max Verstappen of the Netherlands arsenic their prima driver, entered a 2nd title window, winning 4 much drivers’ titles consecutively from 2021 to 2024.

In 2023, Horner presided implicit the astir ascendant play successful Formula One history, with the squad winning 21 of 22 races, and Verstappen mounting a caller F1 grounds with 10 consecutive victories.

Horner, left, celebrates winning the 2021 F1 World Drivers Championship with operator Max Verstappen astatine Yas Marina Circuit connected December 12, 2021, successful Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [Bryn Lennon/Getty Images]

Will Max Verstappen enactment astatine Red Bull Racing?

At the midway constituent of the 2025 season, Verstappen trails McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris successful the drivers’ standings and has each but conceded the drivers’ rubric for this season.

As acold backmost arsenic April 13, Verstappen was already pessimistic astir the prospects of winning a 5th consecutive drivers’ championship.

“McLaren are not my rivals close now. I americium conscionable taking portion successful this satellite championship,” Verstappen said, arsenic quoted by nl.motorsport.com.

When pressed further if helium meant helium doesn’t spot himself competing for the 2025 drivers’ title, helium replied: “No, I don’t.”

In caller days, and not for the archetypal time, Verstappen has been linked with a determination to rival Mercedes, perchance arsenic soon arsenic adjacent season.

Brundle told Sky Sports News that Horner’s exit from Red Bull whitethorn defuse tensions, resulting successful Verstappen re-signing with the lone F1 squad helium has ever driven for.

“It makes it much apt that Verstappen volition stay,” Martin Brundle said. “It became idiosyncratic successful Team Verstappen.”

Verstappen has been heavy linked successful caller weeks with a determination distant from Red Bull Racing [File: Jay Hirano/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images]