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Zak Brown “Not surprised” by Christian Horner’s sacking at Red Bull
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McLaren boss expected for Horner to be sacked by Red Bull after turbulent couple of seasons

McLaren team boss Zak Brown had his comments on Christian Horner’s recent dismissal from Red Bull Racing, saying he wasn’t shocked by the team principal’s exit, even if the timing caught him slightly off guard.

Speaking to Canadian broadcaster TSN, Brown commented: “I’m maybe [surprised by] the timing, but not the result. There’s been a lot of drama there the last couple of years and it doesn’t seem like that drama has been calming down – maybe been getting worse. So I’m not surprised.”

Horner, who had led Red Bull since their debut in 2005 and overseen multiple championship-winning campaigns, was officially sacked as team principal and CEO on 9 July, just three days after Max Verstappen finished fifth at the British Grand Prix.

Horner was at the center of serious allegations made by a female employee, accusing him of sexual harassment and coercive behavior. Although two internal investigations cleared him of any wrongdoing and Horner denied all allegations, the situation cast a long shadow over the team.

Following the scandal, Red Bull entered a period of instability. Chief technical officer Adrian Newey resigned in April last year, reportedly at least in part due to the fallout from the allegations. Newey has since joined Aston Martin. Other high-profile departures followed, including sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who is now heading Sauber ahead of its rebranding as Audi’s works team next year.

Horner has been replaced by Frenchman Laurent Mekies, who steps in from sister team Racing Bulls to take on the dual role of team principal and CEO as Red Bull looks to steady the ship in the wake of a turbulent chapter.