Christian Horner leaves Red Bull after two decades of success
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Horner has been a key figure in Red Bull’s dominance in the early 2010s and currently. His departure comes 17 months after allegations of misconduct and after a season in which Red Bull’s performance has shown a decline.
Horner’s Beginnings in F1
In 2005, the Red Bull Racing team, born after Dietrich Mateschitz’s acquisition of Jaguar Racing, appointed Christian Horner as director. At just 31 years old, he became the youngest team principal in F1 history, a record he still holds.
The First Victory
Sebastian Vettel’s victory at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix was the first for Red Bull. Mark Webber secured a 1-2 finish, marking the beginning of an era of success for the team.
This victory in Shanghai, under the rain, started a dynasty for Red Bull, which would achieve 123 more victories with Horner in command.
Double Success
In 2010, Red Bull and Horner established themselves as a dominant force in F1, conquering the drivers’ and constructors’ titles.
Vettel, who started the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi 15 points behind Fernando Alonso, won the race, securing both titles for the team.
Years with Renault
Following the introduction of hybrid engines in 2014, Red Bull faced difficulties with their Renault engines. Horner’s conflicts with Cyril Abiteboul of Renault marked a period in which Red Bull was relegated in the face of the dominance of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.
The association between both teams ended in 2018, with Red Bull switching to Honda engines, coinciding with their return to the fight for the championship and the eventual dominance of Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen’s Rise
With only 18 years old, Max Verstappen became the youngest race winner in F1 history at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, in his debut with Red Bull.
After racing for Torro Rosso at 17 years old, Horner recognized Verstappen’s talent and promoted him to Red Bull after only four races of the 2016 season. The move proved successful, with Verstappen achieving 65 victories, four drivers’ championships, and contributing to two constructors’ championships under Horner’s leadership.
Investigation for misconduct
In February 2024, a Red Bull employee made serious accusations against Horner for “inappropriate and controlling behavior.” He continued as team principal while an investigation was carried out.
He was cleared of all charges by parent company Red Bull GmbH after an independent investigation. However, a day later, “sexually suggestive” text messages that Horner allegedly sent to the complainant were anonymously leaked.
His wife, Geri Halliwell, publicly supported him. An independent investigation exonerated him before the start of the following season.
Horner Sacked by Red Bull
After 20 years in command, Horner was dismissed by Red Bull on July 9. Sources have reported that a series of meetings took place during the two weeks prior to his dismissal, coinciding with the Austrian Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix.
Red Bull has never known F1 without Christian Horner at the helm. He will be replaced by Laurent Mekies, coming from Racing Bulls.
