Christian Horner Removed as Red Bull Team Principal After 20 Historic Years

Share on :

Prime Highlights

Christian Horner has been removed as Red Bull Racing team principal after a decade at the helm following Red Bull’s F1 debut in 2005.
Laurent Mekies, a Ferrari and Racing Bulls experienced campaigner, is the new team boss amidst internal turmoil.

Key Facts

Horner led Red Bull to 8 Drivers’ Championships and 6 Constructors’ titles.
He departs at the end of a turbulent term with in-team politics and an all-time low in team shape recently.

Key Background

Christian Horner began his Red Bull Racing career in 2005, the dawn of one of the greatest team-management eras in Formula 1 history. Red Bull was revolutionized under his management from midfield fighter to dominance. The squad won four straight world championships between 2010 and 2013 with Sebastian Vettel and again from 2021 to 2024 with Max Verstappen. In the space of twenty years, Horner accumulated 124 Grand Prix wins and became one of the era’s dominant figures in motor sport.

But that was in 2024 and 2025. There was internal conflict, with major men like Adrian Newey, chief designer, and Jonathan Wheatley, sporting director, lost. On-track form crashed to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. That pressure also came from reports Max Verstappen was disillusioned and the high-drama use of his exit clause, reportedly over a change of leadership.

In addition, Horner’s integrity was tarnished following his accusations of internal corruption at the start of 2024. Even though he had been acquitted twice by Red Bull’s internal investigations, the incident came under mass media scrutiny and caused lingering distractions for the team.

The parent organization of Red Bull on the 9th of July, 2025, decided to sack Horner with immediate effect. The decision is a massive overhaul of the team in preparation for the regulation shift of 2026. Laurent Mekies, ex head of Racing Bulls and with the vast Ferrari heritage, is the new Red Bull Racing CEO and new team principal.

The leadership change is a call Red Bull wants to get back to the track and on performance. The team is convinced the changeup will restore its racing path and free its star driver, Max Verstappen, from planning for the long term and consistency.