"The Red Bull we knew is over": Former F1 race engineer comments on Christian Horner being fired from the team

Former Red Bull race engineer Blake Hinsley paid tribute to Christian Horner after the latter was fired from the Austrian team on Tuesday, July 9. The Brit was let go by the energy drinks manufacturer as their team principal and CEO after more than 20 years in the job.

The 51-year-old had led the Formula One team since its inception and guided them to multiple championships in his journey. He made them one of the most successful outfits in the sport's history. However, Horner was under pressure since the start of the 2024 season when he found himself embroiled in a power struggle within the organization.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit operated as a maverick team and was free from corporate interference throughout its two-decades-long existence. However, since the death of its co-founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, in late 2022, there has been a leadership struggle in the F1 team.

On X, Hinsley, popularly known as Brrrake in the F1 community, paid tribute to Christian Horner's legacy while painting a grim picture of the team, saying:

"The Red Bull we knew is over. A fuck load of championships, a few years in the DTS blender, a few more championships and most of the people that made the team what it was are gone.

"There are a handful more insanely talented people that could make the difference again, but it seems like now the corporate world with no real clue of motorsport is running the show. I know Horner wasn't popular, but holy fuck he did a good job, and no one is going to get close to that again."

Hinsley worked as a Trackside Performance Engineer for Max Verstappen from 2016 to 2017 and was an active part of Red Bull from 2014 to 2021.

Christian Horner bids an emotional farewell to Red Bull

Christian Horner made an emotional speech to his former employees at Milton Keynes as he delivered his final message at the factory.

The Brit's speech was shared and broadcast by Sky Sports, in which he informed:

"Yesterday I was informed by Red Bull that, operationally, I will no longer be involved with the business or the team moving forward from after this gathering. And that obviously came as a shock to myself, but what I've had time to do is to reflect over the last 12 hours or so.

"And I wanted to stand in front of all of you to break this news and just express my gratitude to each and every single member of the team that has given so much during the last 20 and a half years that I've been here."

Christian Horner's future in the sport remains uncertain given the sudden nature of his exit from Red Bull.