Summary:
- Christian Horner is out as Red Bull Racing’s team principal after almost two decades in charge.
- The decision follows months of behind-the-scenes tension and public pressure from Jos Verstappen, stemming from a 2024 investigation.
- Laurent Mekies has already replaced Horner, while Alan Permane will step up as team boss at the sister team.
Christian Horner’s long tenure as Red Bull Racing’s team principal has come to an abrupt and unexpected end.
On Wednesday morning, the team’s parent company announced Horner had been dismissed from his role, effective immediately, and replaced by Laurent Mekies, currently the principal of Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls.
Red Bull Praised Horner’s “Tireless Commitment”
The 51-year-old, born in Royal Leamington Spa, UK, has been representing Red Bull since the giant entered into Formula 1 in 2005, leading the team through two decades of remarkable success.
Under his command, Red Bull grabbed no less than eight drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles, 107 pole positions, and 287 podiums, turning itself into one of the sport’s irrefutable names.
In a statement, Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s chief executive officer of Corporate Projects and Investments, paid tribute to Horner’s contribution, thanking him for his “exceptional work over the last 20 years” and praising his “tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking” that he called “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 forever remain an important part of our team history.
Surprise Announcement
Staff at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes factory were informed of the decision at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The timing of the announcement came as a surprise to many in the paddock.
Horner had been present at Silverstone over the weekend, seemingly unshaken, as Max Verstappen drove to a fifth-place finish in what would prove to be Horner’s final race at the helm.
The dismissal comes at the end of a difficult year disrupted by a series of internal disputes fueled by allegations of inappropriate behavior brought by a team employee in 2024.
While Horner’s name was ultimately cleared amid a detailed internal investigation, the saga reportedly made matters worse between Horner and Red Bull GmbH in Austria.
Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull’s star driver Max Verstappen, had publicly called for Horner to step aside during the controversy, though Horner appeared to survive that immediate storm.
Back in March 2024, as scrutiny intensified, Horner spoke candidly about the strain it had placed on his personal life, saying the “intrusion on my family is now enough” and calling the ordeal “very trying”
After 20 years at the top, Horner’s chapter with Red Bull has closed suddenly, and with no shortage of drama.