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In the last few weeks, multiple reports have been circulating with claims that Red Bull has been slowly sidelining Christian Horner, and his exit seems imminent. While the veracity of these claims is hard to ascertain, and all of this might just be smoke and mirrors at best, it is certainly an interesting question, especially if we look at the team's decline in the last 18 months.
It's easy to forget now, but Red Bull had put together the most dominant season in F1 history in 2023. The team lost just once in the entire season. Dropping to third in the championship in 2024 and not even being within a shot of winning the constructors' title in 2025 is a drastic drop in form.
Things have gone wrong for sure, missteps have been made, and while the team tries to recover, it's certainly not going to happen this season. Is Christian Horner responsible for what has happened with Red Bull? Yes, he is. If you're the leader, then you are responsible for both the good and the bad.
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But if Red Bull's answer to the team taking a dip in performance is removing Christian Horner, then this would be the first step in the 'Ferraification' of the team.
What does 'Ferrarification' mean?
Ferrari is the most iconic team in F1, and that is something that not many dispute. The Scarlet Red is synonymous with the sport, as it is still the most successful team in Formula 1. At the same time, the Italian squad has not won a championship since 2008.
The period from 1999 to 2008 was rather fruitful for the team, where Michael Schumacher had built a capable, well-oiled machine around him that won consistently. But before the German won the Drivers' Championship in 2000, Ferrari had not clinched one since 1979.
The problem with Ferrari has often been the fact that the team has been run from the boardroom. And more often than not, the board does not know how to achieve success in F1. For instance, since 2008, the Italian team has had its 5th different team principal.
Almost all of them, with the exception of Marco Mattiaci, had a 4-year run in which, if the performance was not there, they got fired. With Domenicali, there were 2 title losses in 2010 and 2012. For Arrivabene it was 2017 and 2018. For Binotto, it was 2022. As soon as you failed, you were replaced, and as a result, there was always an environment of fear.
With Dietrich Mateschitz still alive, Red Bull Racing was isolated, and the decision-making was left with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, as the boss let the experts handle things. When he was no more, the board seemed to be having more influence. If the influence is following the Ferrari route and dropping Horner after a stumble, then that's a worrying trend when it comes to the direction the team is taking.
It's not only about Ferrarification, though, it's also about the repercussions the call could have.
Christian Horner is the heart and soul of Milton Keynes
The name Red Bull has been synonymous with Christian Horner ever since the team was born in 2005. Being a young 30-something-year-old team principal is a novelty in F1, but that was exactly what Horner was. Since joining, he has meticulously built the entire operation on his own.
It is hence no surprise that the squad stood by him in 2024 when his position was in danger. It is also not a surprise that it was reported that the Red Bull Racing senior management had signed a letter where they claimed that they all would leave the team if Christian Horner was removed.
The squad at Milton Keynes is loyal to Horner and looks up to him. Removing their leader is not going to go down well with them.
Red Bull has its 20+ years in F1 to learn from
Red Bull joined F1 in 2005, and as early as 2009 it was fighting for the title. The squad went on a 4-year run of winning both championships before the new V6 Turbo hybrid caught them off guard. It would not be until 2021 that the team would once again be a contender for the title and taste success.
But during this time, Red Bull was not a team that let go of its senior management. From 2014 to 2021, Christian Horner still led the squad, Adrian Newey was still there, so was Helmut Marko, and so was Jonathan Wheatley. From 2021 to 2025, the team has achieved multiple championships. As often happens with the squads that win a lot, key members have been poached.
Yet, the nucleus of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko is still there. In 2014, the team had a choice, punish the likes of Horner and Marko for making the wrong call in terms of the power unit supplier or it could back the people that brought them success. Red Bull stuck to the core that brought success to the squad, and even though it took time, that team won again and has done so in a dominant fashion.
We are in 2025 right now, and Red Bull faces the same question. It is close to ending a season without a title for the first time since 2020. It can learn from what it did in 2014 when Dietrich Mateschitz was there. Or it can choose a path that Ferrari tends to follow, which is to fire a team principal at the first sight of failure.
The approach taken by Mateschitz saw Red Bull win again, while Ferrari has continued to fail again and again with its method.
Christian Horner would be picked up by an F1 rival in an instant
To cap it all off, the biggest thing that Red Bull needs to be mindful of is the fact that if it risks putting Christian Horner on the free market, it won't be long before he's picked up by one of the established teams on the grid. In Horner, we already have a hall of fame member who has proven himself as arguably the best team principal of the last two decades.
He was instrumental in taking a drinks company to the top in 2010, and he has made sure that Red Bull's DNA remains strong. If somehow the board decides that Horner has to do it, there are options aplenty. As a career move, he could potentially be looking at a role similar to what Toto Wolff has at Mercedes, where he is part owner of the squad.
Audi is a team that's looking to make a long-term commitment and potentially looking for a similar solution for its squad as well. Then there are other teams on the grid, including Ferrari, who would be willing to splurge as much money as possible in getting Horner to their squad.
All in all, if the board does decide that Horner is at fault and he is an expendable resource, it is looking at a scenario where Red Bull is the biggest loser in all of this.
More importantly, this would be the first sign of the Austrian team going down the Ferrari route, and that route has not been very successful in the sport.
