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Fans reacted as Red Bull Racing sacked their team principal, Christian Horner, after close to two decades of his service. He had served in the role since the team's inception in the 2005 F1 season, and was one of the reasons for the team's immense success.
However, the clock for his sacking started ticking after allegations of "inappropriate behavior" were raised against him by one of RBR's employees. This caused a major stir within the team, and although an internal investigation left him with a green chit, there were many shaken aspects within the organization. One of the immediate and most negative impacts was Adrian Newey leaving the team. He was the reason behind some of Red Bull's most dominant cars. The team went into a downward spiral since.
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As the 2025 F1 season progresses, RBR has struggled to perform well. Moreover, reports claimed that Max Verstappen was in talks to move to Mercedes in the 2026 season. These issues were all seemingly pointed at Christian Horner.
While the exact reason for the sacking is not known, there was a wave of cheers from fans on social media. Apparently, many felt that the team had started underperforming under his regime more recently.
"He couldn't fix the f**king car," said one fan.
"It finally happened, good call?" claimed another fan.
"Good job Red Bull, Helmut Marko next," a user suggested.
Some fans also suggested that Max Verstappen would no longer stay at Red Bull Racing as he would get the green light to Mercedes without Christian Horner.
"Max is on his way out!" a fan exclaimed.
"So Max has signed an agreement with Merc huh," another fan claimed.
Laurent Mekies named Red Bull Racing CEO following Christian Horner's sacking
Laurent Mekies, who joined Racing Bulls (RBR's junior team on the grid) as team principal at the start of the 2024 season, was named as Christian Horner's replacement. Mekies spent plenty of time as Ferrari's racing director for years before moving to VCARB. He will be promoted as the CEO of Red Bull Racing, a position that Horner has held since 2005.
"We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years," Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, said in a statement.
"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. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history," he added.
Horner was one of the most well-known personalities on the Formula 1 Paddock, considering the time he spent with Red Bull Racing and the success they had together. However, that has now come to an end. It will be interesting to see the developments that happen within the team in the coming months, especially with the new regulations next season.
