Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Red Bull has sacked Christian Horner, replacing him at the helm of one of the most successful racing teams in Formula 1 and ending a 20-year reign that brought championships but also controversy.
Horner, who was the longest-serving team boss on the grid, has been replaced by French engineer Laurent Mekies as chief executive of Red Bull Racing, the team said in a statement on Wednesday.
The 51-year-old, who became team principal in 2005, was at the centre of controversy last year when a female staff member accused him of inappropriate behaviour. Horner denied wrongdoing and the grievance was dismissed after Red Bull appointed a barrister to investigate.
His departure comes after a slump in Red Bull’s performance on the track. Designer and engineer Adrian Newey, a key figure in the team’s success, quit last year for Aston Martin, the team controlled by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll.
Star driver Max Verstappen is in third place in the championship but is 69 points — equivalent to nearly three race wins — behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, Red Bull has slipped to fourth in the constructors’ standings, behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
Retaining the services of Verstappen, a four-time world champion who is widely regarded as the best driver in the sport, will be a priority for Mekies, who has been promoted from his role leading Red Bull’s secondary F1 team Racing Bulls. The Dutch driver has been recently linked with a move to Red Bull’s rival Mercedes.
Red Bull has also struggled to find a teammate capable of supporting Verstappen, who has been publicly critical of the team’s car this season. The team replaced Mexican driver Sergio Pérez with Liam Lawson at the end of last year, but demoted the New Zealand driver after just two races. His replacement, Yuki Tsunoda, is 18th in the driver standings.
Red Bull’s recent slide has brought a run of dominance to an end. Under Horner, Red Bull won eight drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ championships.
Horner is a combative character whose rivalries with other team principals were central plot lines in the Netflix hit series Drive to Survive, which is credited with boosting the sport’s popularity, particularly in the US.
He was aged just 31 when Red Bull energy drinks billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz picked him in 2005 to lead an upstart team that took on and beat automakers, from Ferrari to Renault, at their own game.
Red Bull won its first championship in 2010, beginning four years of domination with German racer Sebastian Vettel, but lost ground to Mercedes when new hybrid engines were introduced in 2014.
It then enjoyed a second period of dominance under Horner, winning more championships with Verstappen between 2021 and 2024.
Over the past two seasons Red Bull has struggled to compete with McLaren, which has developed a faster car and is on course to win both the drivers’ and constructors’ championship this season.
Oliver Mintzlaff, chief executive of Red Bull’s corporate projects and investments, thanked Horner for his “exceptional work” over the past 20 years.
“With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1,” Mintzlaff said.
This story has been amended to correct the date Red Bull won its first constructors’ championship and to correct Liam Lawson’s nationality
