IndyCar champ Paul Tracy drops 2-word reaction to Christian Horner's shock sacking from Red Bull

Former IndyCar champion Paul Tracy has reacted to Red Bull's abrupt sacking of its CEO and F1 Team Principal, Christian Horner. The 51-year-old served the team for 20 years before being fired with immediate effect on Wednesday, July 9.

In its official statement, Red Bull didn't give a reason for the decision. Red Bull Managing Director Oliver Mintzlaff said:

"We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years. 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."

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Racing Bulls, was promoted to CEO of RBR, with Alan Permane taking his place in the junior team. The unexpected announcement created a stir on social media. F1 fans were caught off guard by the sudden nature of the decision, which came when Red Bull's four-time F1 champ, Max Verstappen, was being linked with a shock move to Mercedes for 2026.

2003 IndyCar champion Paul Tracy, a 31-time race winner, dropped his reaction to the news on Instagram. He shared a screenshot of F1's official Instagram post about Christian Horner's axing on his story, and in a succinct two-word message, he wrote:

"Holy sh*tballs"

A snapshot of IndyCar champ Paul Tracy's Instagram story (@paultracyofficial)

Sky Sports reported that two senior figures in Red Bull also departed the team along with Horner. There was growing internal unrest within the team since Christian Horner became the center of a scandal in early 2024, when a female colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior.

He had denied the allegations, and the case was eventually dismissed after a thorough investigation by RBR. However, the team started disintegrating in the coming months, including technical wizard Adrian Newey leaving for Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley for Sauber/Audi.

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IndyCar commentator Will Buxton reacts to "seismic" Christian Horner axing

IndyCar commentator Will Buxton shared his take on Horner's axing in an X post. He wondered if Red Bull's decision was motivated by the growing speculation about Max Verstappen exploiting his exit clause to join Mercedes in 2026.

Buxton, who left F1's digital team after seven years for IndyCar in 2025, wrote:

"Seismic news in F1 land to wake up to. Horner gone. The right decision at the right time and for the right reasons? Time will tell. Makes you wonder if those Max to Merc rumours will suddenly disappear though doesn’t it."

Will Buxton

@wbuxtonofficial

LINK

Seismic news in F1 land to wake up to. Horner gone. The right decision at the right time and for the right reasons? Time will tell. Makes you wonder if those Max to Merc rumours will suddenly disappear though doesn’t it.

Christian Horner had been at odds with Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, since early 2024. Jos had publicly called for Horner's axing on more than one occasion, claiming that the Brit would 'tear apart' the team.

Red Bull has also been dealing with a second driver problem. No teammate of Verstappen's has been able to tame the pointy Red Bull car. Even the reigning champion has started having trouble with the RB21, with the 2025 Drivers' championship nearly out of contention.

The Milton Keynes outfit stands fourth in the Constructors' championship with 172 points, while McLaren is cruising far ahead with 460 points.