Christian Horner sacked as Red Bull F1 team boss

Christian Horner has been sacked arsenic Red Bull Formula 1 squad brag aft 20 years.

In a statement, Red Bull said Horner, who until present has been at the helm of the squad for its full existence, has been “released from his operational duties with effect from today”. 

Laurent Mekies, presently squad main of Red Bull’s 2nd F1 team, Racing Bulls, volition regenerate Horner. In turn, Racing Bulls racing manager Alan Permane volition go squad main of the inferior squad.

Horner has served arsenic Red Bull’s squad main since the squad archetypal entered F1 successful the 2005 play by buying the Jaguar Racing squad from Ford. He impressed Red Bull done his enactment of his ain Arden International squad, which was past a front-runner successful Formula 3000. Horner had been looking for a mode to determination his squad into F1 erstwhile the Red Bull accidental arose. 

At the clip of his appointment, Horner became F1’s youngest-ever squad principal and helium had an contiguous impact. He was cardinal to Red Bull’s palmy efforts to poach ace decorator Adrian Newey from McLaren successful precocious 2005 and helium helped the squad grow and enactment its mode to the crisp extremity of the grid. With ample wealth from its vigor drinks genitor firm, the Red Bull squad was capable to interruption into the rarefied elite of a athletics agelong dominated by Ferrari, McLaren and Williams – and it has managed to prolong that occurrence since.

Red Bull claimed its archetypal drivers’ and constructors’ titles successful 2009 with Sebastian Vettel, erstwhile Horner was  conscionable 35. In his 20 years arsenic squad principal, Horner led Red Bull to 124 contention wins, six constructors’ and 8 drivers’ titles, with 4 each for Vettel and Max Verstappen. 

But determination has been a descent successful show successful caller seasons that has apt outgo Horner his job. Red Bull mislaid the constructors’ rubric to McLaren past year and is languishing successful 4th spot successful this year’s points race. Meanwhile, Newey has near for Aston Martin and sporting manager Jonathan Wheatley has switched to Sauber (soon to go Audi). Verstappen’s aboriginal astatine the squad is besides successful doubt, with reports that helium is successful talks with Mercedes.

Horner, joined to erstwhile Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has enjoyed a precocious illustration arsenic a squad main arsenic F1’s popularity has boomed and helium has been outspoken successful his opinions, some successful interviews and successful his appearances connected Drive to Survive.

There has besides been controversy. In aboriginal 2024, an interior probe was launched aft a pistillate Red Bull worker made allegations of inappropriate behaviour. The probe was conducted by an outer lawyer and Horner was subsequently cleared of each wrongdoing.