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Victor Petkov
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Red Bull sacks Christian Horner after 20 years as team principle
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The Brit is leaving the team he joined way back in 2005 after drama-filled 18 months, Laurent Mekies will take his place at Red Bull

Christian Horner has been dismissed from his role as team principal of Red Bull Racing with immediate effect, bringing an end to a remarkable 20-year tenure. Horner, who had led Red Bull since its inception into Formula 1 in 2005, leaves amid a period of significant internal upheaval and declining on-track dominance.

In his place, Laurent Mekies has been appointed CEO of Red Bull Racing, stepping up from his current leadership role at the sister team, Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri).

Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff praised Horner for his “tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking,” stating that he played an instrumental role in transforming Red Bull into “one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.”

Under Horner’s leadership, Red Bull enjoyed two golden eras. The first came with Sebastian Vettel, who alongside the team captured four consecutive titles between 2010 and 2013.

The second era was marked by Max Verstappen’s dominant run from 2021 to 2024, in which he secured four successive drivers’ titles, with the team claiming constructors’ championships in 2022 and 2023.

However, the past 18 months have been fraught with turbulence. Horner was at the center of a major controversy in early 2024 following allegations of inappropriate behavior made by a female colleague—allegations he denied and which were eventually dismissed after an internal appeal process.

Despite being cleared, the episode left a mark on the team’s image and created internal divisions.

Horner’s exit also comes amid a wave of key personnel departures, including the exits of legendary technical director Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber. The combination of off-track instability and an on-track performance decline has contributed to Red Bull slipping to fourth in the constructors’ standings midway through the 2025 season, trailing McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.