Horner sacked as Red Bull boss amid internal chaos

By Auto Action

After 20 years at the helm and a trophy cabinet few could rival, Christian Horner has been shown the door at Red Bull Racing. The decision ends a two-decade reign that saw the energy drink-backed team rise from paddock oddity to six-time Constructors’ Champion.

The sacking comes in the wake of a months-long storm, sparked by an internal investigation into alleged misconduct and fuelled by a noticeable slide in performance.

Red Bull has won just once this season and trails McLaren by over 140 points in the Constructors’ standings—a far cry from the juggernaut that dominated recent years.

Star driver Max Verstappen hasn’t exactly been subtle either. He’s aired frustrations publicly, and with whispers of exit clauses in his contract, the pressure inside Milton Keynes has gone from simmer to boil.

The timing of Horner’s fall coincides with the departure of other key figures, including aero mastermind Adrian Newey and long-time sporting director Jonathan Wheatley. Add in tension with Red Bull’s hard-nosed advisor Helmut Marko and some sharp and unsubtle words from Verstappen’s father, Jos, and the writing was on the pit wall.

In a farewell statement, Red Bull’s upper management offered polite gratitude for Horner’s contributions, praising his innovation and commitment. But the subtext was clear – it’s time for a reset.

That reset now falls to Laurent Mekies, the Racing Bulls boss, who steps into the top job at Red Bull, with the unenviable task of steadying a ship that’s taken on water from the inside out.

New Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies (right) with replacement Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane. Images: Red Bull Content Pool

Current Racing Bulls racing director Alan Permane replaces him at the Red Bull team as team principal, working together with CEO Peter Bayer.

Mekies has released a statement:

“The last year and a half has been an absolute privilege to lead the team with Peter. It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people.

“The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning. Alan is the perfect man to take over now [at Racing Bulls] and continue our path. He knows the team inside out and has always been an important pillar of our early successes.”

New Red Bulls boss Permane said: “I feel very honoured to take on the role as team principal and would like to thank Oliver (Mintzlaff) and Helmut (Marko) for the trust they have shown in me.

“I am looking forward to working with Peter to continue the good work that both him and Laurent have done in taking this team forward. This is a new challenge for me, but I know that I can count on the support of everyone within them.”

As ever in F1, the headlines may fade, but the politics won’t …

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