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Red Bull’s Team Principal and CEO, Christian Horner, was sacked by the team on July 9, 2025. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has now come out and released a statement about the 51-year-old’s exit from the team and talked about the “Red Bull way”, which will be continued at the Milton Keynes-based Racing team.
Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, along with Adrian Newey, have been the foundation of Red Bull and are a significant reason behind the firm's success. Newey’s design, Horner's operational efficiency, and Marko's driver scouting made Red Bull a formidable force.
Christian Horner was accused of sexually harassing a worker in 2024, followed by a power struggle at Red Bull between the former Team Principal and Helmut Marko. Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff and co-owner Chalerm Yoovidha also got involved.
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However, despite the recent differences, Helmut Marko came out with a heartfelt message for Christian Horner. Red Bull's official account on X uploaded an image of Horner and Marko laughing and celebrating along with the advisor’s statement about the 51-year-old's exit.
“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 developed two World Drivers’ Champions and several Grand Prix winners. That has always been – and still is – the Red Bull way,” read Helmut Marko’s statement
“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,” he added
VCARB Team Principal Laurent Mekies will be replacing Christian Horner at Red Bull as the Team Principal and CEO, with Alan Permane stepping up as the VCARB Team Principal.
Reports also suggested that Red Bull’s Chief Marketing Officer, Oliver Hughes, and Group Director of Communications and social media, Paul Smith, have also left the organisation.
Max Verstappen has penned a profound note following Christian Horner’s exit.
Max Verstappen has been with Red Bull since he joined F1, with Helmut Marko and Christian Horner being key to his success. The Dutchman won his debut race with Red Bull,l i.e., the 2016 Spanish GP. Verstappen won all 65 of his F1 races with Horner leading the team.
As the 51-year-old's exit was announced, Max Verstappen took to social media platforms X and Instagram and uploaded an image with Horner, with a heartfelt caption, which read,
“From my first race win, to four world championships, we have shared incredible successes. Winning memorable races and breaking countless records. Thank you for everything, Christian!”
The Dutchman has recently been in talks with Toto Wolff over a possible move to Mercedes for the 2026 season.
