Red Bull F1: Christian Horner Out

The Red Bull Racing organization has terminated its relationship with Christian Horner after two decades of leadership.

The Formula 1 racing group made public its decision to relieve its longstanding team president and chief executive officer on Wednesday amidst a period of instability that could potentially trigger Max Verstappen’s exit. Horner holds the distinction of being the longest-tenured team president in F1 history.

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“We extend our gratitude to Christian Horner for his exemplary contributions over the past 20 years,” stated Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff. “His relentless dedication, extensive experience, deep expertise, and inventive strategies have been crucial in building Red Bull Racing into one of the most admired and triumphant teams in Formula 1. We appreciate everything, Christian, and your place in our team’s history is forever secure.”

Laurent Mekies, previously the RB team president, will assume the CEO position at Red Bull Racing. Mekies has been overseeing Red Bull’s developmental F1 squad. Alan Permane, the RB racing director, will succeed Mekies as the team president at RB.

Horner’s departure follows Verstappen’s achievement of securing pole position for the British Grand Prix, despite challenges with the car throughout the weekend. Verstappen was overtaken by Oscar Piastri for the lead early in the race and experienced a spin from second position during a wet restart before recovering to finish fifth.

Verstappen, the reigning champion with four F1 titles, currently holds third place in the driver standings, trailing Piastri and his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. Verstappen is 69 points behind Piastri and 61 points behind Norris.

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More concerning for Red Bull, though, is their current position in the constructors standings. The team is ranked fourth, after McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes, with a total of 172 points. Verstappen has contributed all but seven of these points, indicating a significant performance disparity with the team’s second driver.

Liam Lawson was initially chosen to partner with Verstappen at the beginning of the season. However, his time at Red Bull was limited to just two races as he struggled to adapt to the car. Yuki Tsunoda was subsequently promoted from RB — with Lawson reverting to the junior team — yet Tsunoda’s performance at Red Bull hasn’t surpassed his previous form at RB.

Tsunoda has managed to secure the remaining seven points across three of his nine starts. His best finish with the team has been ninth place, and he’s currently on a streak of five consecutive races without scoring any points. Meanwhile, Lawson has accumulated 12 points during those same five races and has now overtaken Tsunoda in the standings.

Lawson’s inclusion followed Sergio Perez’s exit after the 2024 season due to his own struggles as Verstappen’s teammate. Despite Verstappen claiming his fourth consecutive title, Perez finished eighth in the standings, trailing seventh place by 71 points. After amassing 103 points in the first six race weekends of the 2024 season, Perez only managed to score 49 points for the remainder of the season and failed to finish in four races.

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The inability of all three drivers to demonstrate consistent speed in a car that Verstappen has frequently driven to victory has fueled speculation that Red Bull’s current car configuration may be overly tailored to suit Verstappen’s driving style. It’s justifiable to acknowledge Verstappen’s status as the foremost driver in F1 presently — perhaps even globally. He seemingly possesses the capability to secure points even in suboptimal machinery. However, his distinctive and aggressive driving technique is challenging for other drivers to replicate.

What team might Verstappen be with in 2026?

Verstappen’s future could involve a shift to a different team in the upcoming season. The most prominent off-track subject in F1 lately has centered on Verstappen’s future, with rumors suggesting Mercedes’ potential interest in acquiring him. Verstappen’s current agreement with Red Bull extends through the 2028 season, yet reports have indicated the presence of a performance clause within his contract, potentially allowing him to leave the team following the season.

Mercedes has a history of making significant acquisitions. The team created shockwaves in F1 more than a decade prior when they recruited Lewis Hamilton from McLaren shortly after their return to F1. This collaboration proved exceptionally successful, with Hamilton dominating the 2010s and clinching six titles with Mercedes.

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Verstappen has abstained from public commentary regarding his future, while Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has affirmed the team’s interest in securing Verstappen if circumstances permit. George Russell also acknowledged in Austria that Verstappen could be a prospective candidate for the team next season, as Russell himself negotiates a contract extension. Russell’s current contract is set to expire at the conclusion of 2025, and he currently occupies fourth position in the standings, trailing Verstappen by 18 points.

Russell has consistently maximized the performance of Mercedes’ car in recent seasons, during which the team has experienced a decline from its former dominance with Hamilton in the preceding generation of car design. However, Mercedes is rumored to possess the superior engine ahead of the 2026 season, which will introduce extensive regulatory modifications for both engines and chassis, potentially paving the way for a swift return to the pinnacle of F1.

Should Mercedes succeed in acquiring Verstappen, would they also seek to retain Russell? The relationship between the two drivers isn’t particularly amicable, and Mercedes promoted the 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli to succeed Hamilton this season following the seven-time champion’s departure to Ferrari. Antonelli currently holds seventh position in the standings and is navigating the expected challenges of his rookie season. However, Russell is still a relatively young 27 years old and has secured four career victories.

Allegations against Horner Dismissed in 2024

The termination of Horner’s employment occurs a year after he remained in his role despite facing accusations of inappropriate behavior toward a female colleague. The individual lodged a formal complaint against Horner preceding the 2024 season, which led to an independent inquiry. Ultimately, the investigation concluded, and the complaint was dismissed shortly before the season’s commencement, with Red Bull maintaining confidentiality regarding the investigation’s findings.

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Verstappen proceeded to secure another title in 2024; however, Perez’s challenges resulted in Red Bull failing to secure a third consecutive constructors championship. McLaren claimed the team title in 2024, with Red Bull finishing third behind Ferrari.

The individual credited with much of Red Bull’s mechanical prowess also departed from the team during the season. Car designer Adrian Newey exited the team in September to join Aston Martin for the 2025 season and beyond. Newey engineered the dominant Red Bull car that facilitated Verstappen’s victories in all but eight races during the 2022 and 2023 seasons and had been affiliated with the team since 2006.

Newey was also instrumental in designing the car that propelled Sebastian Vettel to four consecutive titles from 2010 through 2013. In a manner similar to its performance beginning in 2022, Red Bull held a competitive advantage following the introduction of new regulations in 2010, enabling Vettel to secure four consecutive titles and win 34 races during that period.

Horner, who was a driver himself, retired from racing in the late 1990s and transitioned to racing management. He was appointed as the team principal at Red Bull in 2005 when the energy drink corporation acquired the assets of the former Jaguar F1 team, and he has remained the team’s sole leader since its inception. In addition to the eight titles secured by Vettel and Verstappen during Horner’s tenure, Red Bull also achieved six constructors championships, with Perez, Daniel Ricciardo, and Mark Webber also securing race victories.