Red Bull Racing has fired Christian Horner after 20 years with the team. Under Horner, Red Bull Racing had immense success racking up 8 drivers championships, 6 constructors titles, 124 grand prix wins, 107 pole positions, and 287 podium finishes.
Laurent Mekies will now take over as CEO of Red Bull Racing, while Alan Permane will take over as team principal.
Since the 2022 death of Dietrich Mateschitz, the ownership and leadership support of Horner has been in flux. Though he made it past an investigation into inappropriate behavior with a female staffer, the inconsistency in results since the middle of last season seems to have been the final straw that led to Horner’s firing.
Currently, Max Verstappen is in 3rd place in the drivers’ championship, trailing Oscar Piastri by 69 points. The team is 4th in the constructors’ standings, trailing McLaren by 288 points.
With several key staff changes over the last few years, punctuated by the loss of Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing will face a lot of questions. Matters get more complicated next year with the introduction of new car regulations, as well as Red Bull leaving longtime engine partner Honda, and creating its own in-house power unit.
To complicate matters further, Horner’s firing will only add fuel to the rumors that continue to swirl regarding Verstappen’s potential exit from Red Bull Racing.
