Formula 1: Red Bull parts ways with Team Principal Christian Horner

After years at the top, Red Bull is struggling to keep up this Formula 1 season. Now the management is drawing personnel consequences. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has to go. From the next race, he will be replaced by Laurent Mekies, who has led the Racing Bulls team to date.

Christian Horner has been Team Principal of Red Bull since 2005 and has played a key role in shaping the initially ridiculed project of leading a newcomer to the top within just a few years. First-class drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen were among the guarantors of success. Designer Adrian Newey, who is responsible for numerous cars that have won the world championship title over the past 30 years, has also played his part. As team principal, Christian Horner put together a powerful squad and kept it together for a long time. His contract, which has now been terminated, was valid until 2030.

Impressive record

Between 2010 and 2013, Red Bull won eight world championship titles together with Sebastian Vettel, after which Mercedes began to dominate. This was finally ended again by Red Bull, who won the drivers' world championship four times and the constructors' world championship twice in the past four years. In 2024, Adrian Newey left Red Bull and joined Aston Martin. Red Bull's current car is the first in many years in whose development Newey has had no involvement. Red Bull threatens further bloodletting. There have been rumors about negotiations between Max Verstappen and Mercedes for weeks. A clause in Verstappen's current contract would allow him to switch to Mercedes next season. Mercedes is said to have a head start in the development of the engine for next year.

What is Verstappen doing?

The reigning world champion is dissatisfied with the current development of his team, because, despite his class as a driver, he is already 69 points behind Oscar Piastri in the drivers' championship after 12 of 24 races. The world championship is far from being decided. However, McLaren is currently so superior that Red Bull is likely to find it difficult to close the gap by the end of the current season. A look at the current world championship reveals the value of the car and driver. Verstappen is in third place with 165 championship points. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who has been driving for Red Bull since the third race this year, has collected 10  points so far and is in 17th place in the drivers' championship.

(mfz)