Formula one top Official Sacked
Red Bull Racing has officially announced a major leadership change, confirming the departure of long-time team principal Christian Horner after nearly two decades of service. Laurent Mekies, who previously headed Red Bull’s junior team, Racing Bulls, has been promoted to take over as the new CEO. The transition marks the end of an era defined by unprecedented success, internal tension, and recent performance struggles.
The news was delivered through an official team statement, accompanied by words of appreciation from Red Bull’s managing director, Oliver Mintzlaff. “We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” Mintzlaff stated. “His tireless commitment, experience, and innovative thinking have played a crucial role in shaping Red Bull Racing into one of the most admired and successful teams in Formula 1.” He added that Horner will always be remembered as a pivotal figure in the team’s history.
Christian Horner, now 51, joined Red Bull Racing in 2005 when the energy drink company made its first foray into Formula 1. He quickly established himself as a key leader, guiding the team to two highly successful competitive eras. The first came under Sebastian Vettel, who delivered four consecutive world titles from 2010 to 2013. The second golden era emerged under Max Verstappen, who spearheaded Red Bull’s dominance from 2021 to 2024 with four straight drivers’ championships.
Verstappen’s 2021 title win was one of the most dramatic in modern F1 history, narrowly edging out Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull then capitalized on sweeping technical rule changes introduced in 2022, resulting in back-to-back drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 2022 and 2023. However, cracks began to appear midway through the 2024 season. The team’s performance began to slide, and tensions behind the scenes became more apparent.
Sources suggest that Horner will formally say goodbye to Red Bull staff at their Milton Keynes headquarters on Wednesday. Internally, there were growing concerns about the impact of Horner’s continued presence. A senior insider told the Daily Mail that “the team is in danger of being torn apart,” suggesting that Horner had become a polarizing figure. “He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems,” the source alleged.
Not long after, legendary F1 car designer Adrian Newey announced his departure from Red Bull, moving to Aston Martin. The BBC reported that the controversy surrounding Horner contributed to Newey’s decision. Coinciding with Newey’s exit, the team’s RB20 car began to underperform, losing ground to rivals Ferrari and McLaren.
By the end of the 2024 season, Max Verstappen had to fend off a serious championship threat from McLaren’s Lando Norris. Although Verstappen retained his title, Red Bull slipped to third in the constructors’ standings—a drop that cost the team millions in development funds.
The start of the 2025 season has not reversed Red Bull’s fortunes. Despite Verstappen winning two races through sheer driver brilliance, his fifth-place finish at the British Grand Prix signaled that McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are now the main title contenders. Rumors about Verstappen’s future have intensified, especially with speculation that he might move to Mercedes in 2026. Performance clauses in his contract were reportedly unmet, and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has confirmed ongoing talks.
Verstappen has not ruled out a move, telling media that staying with one team for his entire career would be “cool,” but not committing further. When Horner was asked to comment on Verstappen’s future at Silverstone, he remained vague, stating that driver contracts are confidential but acknowledging that performance-based clauses exist in Verstappen’s deal. “It’s inevitable he is of huge interest to other teams,” Horner said, attributing the recent speculation to Mercedes driver George Russell possibly trying to improve his own contract situation.
Further reports from talkSPORT suggest that Verstappen is indeed eyeing a move to Mercedes, partly due to strong belief that Wolff’s team has gained a major advantage with the upcoming 2026 engine regulations.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s second driver situation has also deteriorated. After parting ways with Sergio Perez at the end of 2024, the team gave newcomer Liam Lawson just two races before demoting him back to Racing Bulls. With their second car failing to score points and Verstappen fighting an uphill battle alone, Red Bull now sits fourth in the constructors’ standings—its worst placement since 2008.
Despite the current challenges, Horner’s legacy remains monumental. Over the span of his leadership, Red Bull Racing claimed eight drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles, and 124 race victories. His strategic influence transformed Red Bull from a newcomer into a racing dynasty, cementing his status as one of the most successful team principals in Formula 1 history.
