Topline
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was fired Wednesday following a 20-year tenure that featured Formula 1 championships and misconduct allegations that stirred rifts among Red Bull’s billionaire owners while his team’s defending champion Max Verstappen has declined to say he’ll stay.
Defending Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has declined to comment on his future with Red Bull ... More
The team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, said in a statement Wednesday Horner, 51, was released from his “operational duties with effect from today,” though it did not give a reason for the decision.
Laurent Mekies, head of Red Bull Racing’s sister team Racing Bulls, will replace Horner as chief executive, the company said.
Horner, 51, said last week Verstappen, 27, intended to stay with the Red Bull team despite Mercedes driver George Russell suggesting to SkyNews his team was delaying a new deal for him as Mercedes held “ongoing” talks with Verstappen, though Russell later said there’s an “exceptionally low” chance he leaves Mercedes. Red Bull’s team has become increasingly concerned Verstappen would leave the team at the end of the year after Verstappen repeatedly voiced concerns about his car, ESPN reported. Verstappen has declined to comment on his future with Red Bull beyond 2025, though Horner reportedly said Verstappen’s “intention is that he will be there and driving for us in 2026” and that Verstappen “would like to finish his career” with Red Bull, later claiming Russell “probably triggered all this speculation” to speed up his contract talks with Mercedes. Verstappen—under contract with Red Bull until 2028—remains third in the F1 standings after two wins this season while Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen’s teammate, is ranked 17th, as Red Bull is positioned fourth among team standings.
Horner had enjoyed support from billionaire and Red Bull cofounder Chalerm Yoovidhya, ESPN reported, citing unnamed sources, who said a decision to remove Horner would not be made without backing from Yoovidhya. Red Bull’s other billionaire cofounder, Dietrich Mateschitz, had also supported Horner to lead the team before he died in 2022. A dispute among Red Bull’s ownership over whether Horner should remain Red Bull’s principal took shape as Horner faced misconduct allegations, while Red Bull’s motorsport adviser Helmut Marko also reportedly pushed for Horner’s removal.
Horner’s departure from Red Bull comes just over a year after he was cleared of misconduct allegations by the team. The allegations concerned alleged controlling text messages and behavior toward a female member of Red Bull’s team, which also included claims of sexual harassment, the BBC reported. Horner was first cleared of the claims following an internal investigation and then again by a lawyer who dismissed the complainant’s appeal. Verstappen’s father, Jos, reportedly claimed the Red Bull team would “explode” should Horner remain in his role amid the allegations, adding the claims against Horner were “not good for the team and [are] driving people apart.” Horner declined to comment on Jos Verstappen’s statements.
Horner is the latest executive to leave Red Bull in recent years. Adrian Newey, a famed car designer, resigned last year before joining Aston Martin. Jonathan Wheatley resigned as Red Bull’s sporting director after the 2024 season. Red Bull’s head of race strategy Will Courtenay left in September 2024 after 14 years in the role.
Horner was appointed CEO of Red Bull’s F1 team during its inaugural season in 2005. Under Horner, Red Bull won eight drivers’ titles, including four consecutive titles by Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013 and the previous four with Verstappen.