The Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, expressed that he wasn’t taken aback by Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull Formula 1. However, the timing of the event did catch him off guard to some extent.
Just a few days following the British Grand Prix on July 9th, Red Bull made public the removal of Horner from his positions as CEO and team principal, roles he had maintained since the team’s initial entry into F1 back in 2005.
This announcement occurred 12 races into the 2025 season, with Laurent Mekies, previously in charge of the sister team Racing Bulls, stepping in to succeed Horner.
Reportedly, this change followed Red Bull’s diminished performance, after leading the 2023 season, they ended in third position the year after, with the Austrian team presently holding fourth place in 2025.
This also happened approximately 17 months after Horner was exonerated of any misconduct, subsequent to allegations made by a female employee of Red Bull, allegations which had initially cast considerable doubt on his future.
The departure also coincided with internal conflicts within the parent company, Red Bull, following the death of its founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, factors that might have played a role in Horner’s departure.
When asked by TSN if the departure surprised him, Brown stated: “Perhaps the timing, but not the outcome. There seems to have been quite a bit of turmoil there over the past couple of years, and it doesn’t seem to have subsided; in fact, it might have worsened.”
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“So, I’m not particularly shocked. Any time during the season is noteworthy. However, we are concentrating on our own championship efforts. They still have Max [Verstappen] in contention, so we need to be aware of that. Nonetheless, they’ve achieved a tremendous amount of success.”
Horner has yet to communicate his subsequent endeavors. However, Brown anticipates that the 51-year-old will continue to have connections with motorsport.
“Given his age and experience in the motorsport industry, I would expect to see him involved in some capacity,” Brown remarked.
“However, I’m not aware of his additional pursuits; perhaps he might decide to manage a football club or something else entirely. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Brown’s McLaren team concluded Red Bull’s dominance by winning the 2024 F1 constructors’ title, and they are well-positioned to defend their championship this year.
McLaren is also likely to secure its first drivers’ champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are currently engaged in a competitive title race this season.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Zak Brown, McLaren
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
The British team participates in other racing series, like IndyCar, and McLaren is also scheduled to return to Le Mans in 2027, which will incorporate a World Endurance Championship campaign.
Therefore, when questioned about McLaren’s objectives during the same discussion with TSN, Brown stated that there is still much more to achieve.
“I believe that we are progressing well,” Brown stated, who assumed the role of McLaren Racing CEO in 2018. “I think we are attaining our goals, but our ultimate ambition is to secure victory in the Indy 500, triumph in the IndyCar championship, gain the Formula 1 constructors’ championship, secure the Formula 1 drivers’ championship, and win Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship – and subsequently replicate these successes.
“So far, we’ve only accomplished one of these objectives, which is winning the constructors’ championship. But, in all sincerity, I feel that we are making good progress. However, there is still considerable work to be done.”
