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Well, it's been a day since Christian Horner was fired from Red Bull. As is often the case with these things, there is a lack of clarity on the details and on what it means for the team and why the decision was made.
Christian Horner was one of the first names signed by Red Bull when it made its F1 debut in 2005. He built the Milton Keynes facility brick by brick over 20 years, and with that came triumph.
As Horner's stint at Red Bull was brought to an abrupt end, it ended after winning 14 world championships. While that is the case, there are still a few things that we can be sure about when it comes to the mystery of Horner being fired by the team. A day after the team principal's departure, what are some of the key details we know so far? Let's take a look.
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#1 Christian Horner was given a 12-hour heads-up before he left Milton Keynes
If we hear the now-public farewell speech from Christian Horner, he reveals that he only had around 12 hours to process this information. During that time, the former team boss did appear a bit shocked on stage and struggled to hold his composure as he got emotional during his speech.
All of this looked more like an effort to push Horner out of the outfit as quickly as possible, as the lack of a proper farewell was glaring, at the very least.
#2 Max Verstappen's camp's involvement is at best ambiguous
Were Max Verstappen and his camp involved in Christian Horner's firing? The answer to that question is unknown for now. It is, however, quite clear that Horner's presence or absence didn't mean much to the 4x champion because if it did, he would have advocated for it.
At the same time, the report from the Verstappen camp's closest source, the Dutch outlet Telegraph, claims it was not involved in the decision whatsoever.
#3 Max Verstappen's future remains noncommittal.
The mystery behind Max Verstappen's future remains uncertain, adding to the intrigue of how Christian Horner was shunted out of Red Bull. The timeline continues to be the summer break, and with that timeline aligning with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's stated time period, the intrigue is certainly going to continue.
#4 The succession shows a lack of planning
Was Laurent Mekies looked at as Christian Horner's successor? The answer is no because Horner himself brought Mekies to Racing Bulls.
The decision reeks of a typical corporate takeover where the unwanted party is expelled first; its replacements are thought about later.
The board decided that it was time to get rid of Christian Horner; what or who came next was a later concern.
To add to this, there was no driver present at Milton Keynes to bid Horner farewell. Maybe something better or grander was in store for someone who built the entire team.
#5 Conflicting theories have emerged
There are two theories that have emerged when it comes to Horner's departure. The first is around Max Verstappen's camp's involvement. It has been reported that the Dutch driver had multiple meetings with Oliver Mintzlaff during the Austrian GP weekend. It was reported a few weeks back that the Verstappen camp had given the ultimatum to Red Bull that it's either them or Horner.
At the same time, there are reports that Christian Horner became too powerful for the board, and hence, he was pushed out. Either way, the reality would slowly come out as the new Red Bull takes shape.
