Red Bull Sacks Christian Horner: End of an Era in F1

Red Bull announces the departure of Christian Horner as team principal, after two decades at the helm of the team. The news was confirmed this Wednesday, marking the end of an era for the Formula 1 team.

A Legacy of Success

Horner, who took over the leadership of Red Bull in 2005, oversaw the team’s periods of dominance, both in the early 2010s and in the current one. Under his direction, Red Bull won eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships, accumulating a total of 124 grand prix victories.

Horner’s exit occurs in a context of growing tension within the team, exacerbated by the challenges on the track and the uncertainty about the future of Max Verstappen, the star driver.

A Tense Environment

Sources close to the team suggest that the internal environment has become increasingly tense. This situation has been exacerbated by the problems on the track and the growing speculation about Max Verstappen’s future.

In the last month, Horner denied rumors about his possible replacement at Ferrari. However, his position always seemed secure as long as he had the support of Chalerm Yoovidhya, the majority shareholder of Red Bull. The decision to remove Horner appears to have been made with Yoovidhya’s approval. The news comes a year after Horner kept his position following an internal investigation into inappropriate sexual conduct.

We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years. With his tireless commitment, experience, knowledge and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will always be an important part of our team’s history.

Oliver Mintzlaff

In the last year, the departure of the legendary technical director Adrian Newey, who joined Aston Martin, also occurred. Laurent Mekies, the former team principal of Racing Bulls, has been promoted to CEO of Red Bull Racing. The frustrations within the team have been evident this season, with Verstappen openly expressing his issues with the car. Verstappen’s future with the team is also in doubt, with Mercedes monitoring the exit clauses in his contract related to performance. Red Bull confirmed that Alan Permane will replace Mekies as team director of the junior team, having previously been director of Racing Bulls.