Christian Horner’s Red Bull replacement breaks silence on the seismic shift at the team: “It feels a bit unreal”

Red Bull Racing's new team principal, Laurent Mekies, has spoken about replacing Christian Horner during his first day at the Milton Keynes outfit. The French engineer paid tribute to the former team boss during his first interaction with the media.

Horner was announced to have been sacked by the Red Bull team in what was seismic news that shook the Formula 1 scene. He was replaced by Mekies, who, until joining the team, served as team boss for sister outfit Racing Bulls. The 48-year-old, who replaced the outgoing boss, was full of praise when he addressed the media during a scheduled Red Bull Racing team filming day.

"It still feels a bit unreal to be here and not to see him," Mekies said. "It would be impossible to underestimate the size of the achievement that this team has had under 20 years of Christian's leadership. I met him 20 years ago when he was the youngest team principal in Formula 1, and it's unbelievable to see how he has turned this place into what it is now—on that journey, the many, many titles and wins.

"Christian is also the guy that, together with Helmut [Marko] and Oliver [Mintzlaff], brought me back into the Red Bull family two years ago. And my first thoughts are really for him today."

Christian Horner had been in charge of the Red Bull team since its entry into Formula 1 during the 2005 campaign. In his 20-and-a-half-years at the Austrian outfit, the motorsports chief largely transformed the team from what was loosely regarded as a drinks company into one of the greatest teams in the storied history of F1. Horner’s dismissal, however, comes amid a torrid run of form that the team has largely endured since the early stages of the 2024 campaign.

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Helmut Marko pays tribute to Christian Horner after sacking

Red Bull Head of Driver Development Programme Helmut Marko also paid tribute to Christian Horner following his dismissal from the Milton Keynes outfit. The 82-year-old was full of praise for the outgoing team boss, highlighting several feats they achieved together at the racing team.

Speaking in a post shared on X by Red Bull Racing, the motorsport executive stated:

“Christian and I have worked together very successfully for over 20 years – both in Formula 1 and in Formula 3000. I would like to sincerely thank Christian for that. During this time, we were able to celebrate an incredible number of outstanding achievements. We helped develop two World Drivers’ Champions and several Grand Prix winners. That has always been – and still is – the Red Bull way.

“As for the current sporting situation: there are still twelve races to go, and we will continue to fight for the Drivers’ Championship as long as it's mathematically possible.”

Both Helmut Marko and Christian Horner spent over 20 years together at the helm of the team. The Austrian motorsport executive served in different capacities, including in driver development and as an advisor to the team. Their stint together at Red Bull Racing yielded several titles, including eight Drivers’ championships – the last four of which were won by Max Verstappen.

Following Christian Horner’s departure, Marko will now shift focus to aiding new team boss Laurent Mekies as they aim to continue achieving success at the Milton Keynes-based team.