Christian Horner’s Exit From Red Bull: A Detailed Account of Events
The removal of Christian Horner from Red Bull might seem abrupt, particularly following Max Verstappen’s fifth-place finish at the British Grand Prix just three days prior.
However, this decision has been brewing for at least 18 months.
Horner, who has been at the helm for two decades, will be remembered as one of Formula 1’s most accomplished team principals.
Yet, his long-held dominance over Red Bull Racing had been waning for some time.
Horner’s position first came into question in February of the previous year when a female employee accused him of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behavior. Internal Red Bull investigations have twice cleared him of these allegations.
The reasons behind Horner’s departure extend beyond this episode, the ultimate resolution of which remains uncertain. However, it added momentum to the series of events that led to Red Bull’s decision.
Looking at Red Bull’s current state, it’s hard to reconcile with the fact that Verstappen is the reigning world champion.
Verstappen, widely regarded as the best driver in F1, is currently third in the championship, trailing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 69 points at the season’s midpoint.
The Dutch driver has only secured two race victories this season and just four out of the last 24 races. Red Bull ranks fourth in the constructors’ championship, the lowest among the top teams, with no clear path for improvement.
Simultaneously, Verstappen’s future is uncertain. Horner has emphasized the driver’s contract through 2028, but Mercedes has been actively courting him.
Verstappen’s departure, given Red Bull’s current performance, would be catastrophic for the team. He has scored 165 points this season, while their second driver has only managed seven.
So, what do we know about the events leading to his departure? While Red Bull has remained tight-lipped, details of behind-the-scenes power struggles, disagreements, and concerns over car and driver decisions have emerged.
Adrian Newey, pictured here with Horner, is a renowned F1 design genius who left Red Bull for Aston Martin in a £30m-a-year deal this year
Red Bull has closed ranks, offering no comment beyond their public statement that Horner has been “released from his operational duties with effect from today.”
Even internal sources who typically provide reliable briefings are refusing to speak off the record.
Therefore, pinpointing the exact catalyst for this decision remains speculative.
While the decision may seem sudden, a closer examination reveals it may not be entirely unexpected. Let’s explore how events reached this point.
The roots of this situation can be traced back to October 2022, or perhaps even earlier, with the death of Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz.
Horner saw an opportunity to consolidate his power and began maneuvering, with Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s long-time motorsport advisor and a close friend of Mateschitz, becoming the first obstacle.
A power struggle ensued, with rumors circulating that Horner was attempting to oust Marko. The situation remained unresolved until March 2024, when Verstappen intervened, backing Marko and making it clear that if Marko left, he would follow.
Verstappen’s father, Jos, also voiced his discontent. Following the allegations against Horner, Jos Verstappen stated that the team would disintegrate if Horner remained in charge.
Meanwhile, Horner was managing internal tensions within the design department between chief technical officer Adrian Newey and technical director Pierre Wache.
Throughout 2023, Horner suggested that Newey, considered the greatest designer in F1 history, was no longer as crucial as he once was. Horner would emphasize that Newey only worked three days a week, while highlighting the roles of Wache and the technical leadership team, particularly head of aerodynamics Enrico Balbo.
When the female employee made her allegations against Horner, Newey was reportedly unimpressed. Coupled with the feeling that others were taking credit for his work, this led to Newey’s resignation in April of last year.
He was immediately removed from any involvement with the F1 team until his formal departure later in the year. Newey began working for Aston Martin in March.
At the time of Newey’s departure, Verstappen had won three consecutive world championships, with the third in 2023 being the most dominant in history.
Verstappen started the 2024 season with four wins in the first five races. After Newey’s departure, he won three of the next four, followed by two of the next 13.
This performance level has continued into 2025, with Verstappen winning just twice in 12 races at the season’s halfway point.
Was Red Bull’s decline in competitiveness a direct result of Newey’s departure? While certainty is impossible, it undoubtedly had an impact. A team cannot lose someone of Newey’s caliber without facing consequences.
In July, long-time sporting director Jonathan Wheatley also resigned and is now the team principal of Sauber/Audi. Horner, much to the annoyance of Wheatley and Audi, announced the move prematurely.
In September, head of strategy Will Courtenay followed suit and will join McLaren as sporting director once contractual issues are resolved.
Horner sacked as Red Bull team principal
Horner renewing Sergio Perez’s contract was seen as one of his key mistakes
Meanwhile, Red Bull has been struggling with their second car.
While Verstappen secured a record 19 wins out of 22 races in 2023, his teammate Sergio Perez only managed two victories, both within the first four races. After that, his performance declined sharply.
Despite being retained for 2024, Perez did not win again. Although he finished second to Verstappen three times in four races during their dominant start last season, his form had already begun to decline by May, mirroring the previous season’s trend.
Yet, around the time of the Monaco Grand Prix, Horner signed Perez to a new two-year contract, extending it to the end of 2026.
The decision seemed perplexing, as Perez was underperforming and Red Bull held all the leverage.
Even if extending Perez’s contract beyond 2024 was a good idea, which many doubted, there was no need to commit to the Mexican for two more years.
By December 2024, Perez’s results had deteriorated to the point where Red Bull felt compelled to drop him. Sources indicate this decision cost them a severance payment of around 18 million euros (£15.5 million).
While this may be insignificant for a company of Red Bull’s size, it remains a substantial amount of money wasted due to a managerial miscalculation.
To replace Perez, Horner selected Liam Lawson, who had only participated in 11 grands prix over two seasons for Red Bull’s second team.
The decision proved disastrous, with the New Zealander struggling and being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after just two races.
The Japanese driver was the more logical choice, having completed four seasons and outperformed Lawson as teammates.
However, it was also evident to those with insight into F1 drivers’ capabilities that Tsunoda was not capable of matching Verstappen’s performance in a car known to be exceptionally challenging to drive.
The performance of drivers like George Russell or Charles Leclerc in a Red Bull remains unknown, as Red Bull, under Horner’s direction, has consistently refused to sign such drivers.
This lack of performance from the second driver has contributed to Red Bull’s struggles in the constructors’ championship, which determines end-of-year prize money.
Other contributing factors include Horner’s alignment with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s push to bring back V10 naturally aspirated engines to F1 earlier this year.
Rivals believed Horner was motivated by concerns that Red Bull’s new in-house engine for next year would be uncompetitive compared to Mercedes. He may also have believed it was in the best interest of the sport, but the true reason remains unclear.
Strategically, this was unwise. Red Bull’s new engine partner, Ford, entered F1 because of the 2026 rules, which heavily emphasize hybrid technology. It was unlikely that Ford, already uneasy about the allegations surrounding Horner, would approve of this stance.
Furthermore, the V10 plan was clearly untenable due to opposition from Mercedes, Honda, and Audi, who would collectively block it. Thus, advocating for it was unnecessary.
Horner’s close relationship with Ben Sulayem on other matters, such as urging him to take action based on unfounded theories to explain McLaren’s dominance, also caused friction.
Verstappen has been linked with Mercedes – was his future linked to Horner’s departure?
When the sexual harassment allegations surfaced, Horner was protected by the Thai main shareholder, Chalerm Yoovidhya, who supported him and allowed him to remain in his position.
However, within a year, Horner was informed that he now reported directly to Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s chief executive officer of corporate projects and investments. Mintzlaff’s quote was featured in Wednesday’s statement announcing Horner’s departure.
The dominant rumor within F1 on Wednesday was that Red Bull had received an ultimatum from the Verstappen camp: either Horner leaves, or Max does.
Whether this is true remains unknown, as Red Bull has not provided a public explanation and may never do so.
However, Verstappen has repeatedly stated his desire to work in a calm, relaxed environment, which Red Bull has not been for at least the past 18 months, and possibly longer.
Ultimately, it likely boils down to this: results were declining, key senior staff had left, a series of questionable decisions had been made, a significant reputational threat remained, and there were concerns about their star driver.
In such a situation, the future of any CEO would be precarious. In the end, it appears Red Bull simply ran out of reasons to keep Horner.