F1: Christian Horner and his Red Bull exit that cooked over low heat

The team of energizing drinks dismissed immediately to whoever, until today, its only director, with 20 years of experience and helmsman of the periods of success.

The news detonated this Wednesday in the European morning: Christian Horner was fired from his position as director of Red Bull immediately. Many, perhaps, were stunned, however, did nothing but confirm the rumors that had been weaving since the beginning of 2024. The English had the chopped ticket, it was only a matter of time for it to become effective. To pure gambeta, and with the help of the successes that overlap the situation, the husband of the Spice Geri Halliwell managed to get the storm, as far as he could.

First, it is necessary to mark that Horner is the main and fundamental architect of the successes of the Energy Drinks. With an opaque step as a racing pilot, the English born in Leamington Spa in 1973, hung the helmet and founded the Arden Formula 3000 team in 1999. The titles that won his team in 2003 and 2004r. At the end of 2004, the Austrian millionaire Dietrich Mateschitz closed the purchase of Jaguar and in 2005 the Red Bull team was born. Mateschitz, owner of 49% of the beverage company, He recruited English to command the team, becoming, at 32, the youngest director of F1. Next to his side put Helmut Marko, friend of Dietrich, who was as a sports advisor. It was the basal stone of the Milton Keynes Team domain periods.

Under the baton of Horner-Marko, Red Bull achieved 124 victories, 107 Pole Positions, 287 podiums, eight pilot titles and six builders. They were the commanders of the dominant tetracampeonates of Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) and Max Verstappen (2021-2024). Everything worked perfectly, however, it all began to change at the end of 2022, when the exit of Horner began to gesture.

The trigger was the death of Mateschitz (October 2022). Everything changed doors inside the Red Bull team. The Austrian contributed the money, but did not get into the handling of the team. That was total and absolute responsibility of Horner and Marko. Without the Austrian, the company created the corporate projects division, with Oliver Mintzlaff as executive. The German came from the world of marketing (he spent eight years in Puma) and in 2014 he entered the world Red Bull as director of Global Football. In the middle of that year, he was appointed CEO of Leipzig and took the team to the Bundesliga.

Mintzlaff began to follow the work of Red Bull and Horner team began to be more observed. However, the successes continued and everything was happiness. In 2023, Milton Keynes team won 21 of 22 races. However, at the beginning of 2024, Horner would receive the final lunge: it was denounced by an employee for “inappropriate behaviors.” The director’s image was definitely cumbersome.

In the middle, with Mintzlaff involved, a power dispute began and the fights began. Horner and Marko distanced each other, but continued working together. In the middle, Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, broke ties with the director. Everything together, while the team decided to conduct an internal investigation to know what had happened to the complaint of the team’s employee. The 2024 World Cup began in Baréin in the middle of the scandal, which grew to unsuspected limits when the popes of all teams, Important people from the FIA and journalists accredited for the whole year, received an email with all WhatsApp messages that would have existed between Horner and the employee.

The Horner empire began to break. Internal research finally acquitted English, who remained in his position. However, his position had remained in check. Jos Verstappen publicly asked for his departure. “The team is in danger of disintegrating if it continues in its position”. Mintzlaff and Red Bull’s executive table held the British, but could not stop the rumors that marked their departure every so often. The successes overpired the situation: Max won seven of the first ten races of 2024 and headed to the title. The RB20 performance fall in the middle of the championship revived the fire, but the memorable triumph of the Dutch in the San Pablo GP finished directing the crown. But that only stretched the agony.

In the middle, as if that were not enough, Red Bull suffered the bleeding of key personnel: Adrian Newey, the design guru of the successful cars of the bull, armed his bag after the scandal and went to Aston Martin. Shortly before, in 2023, Rob Marshall, who was in charge of the Department of Engineering, also left the ship and went to McLaren (today, the dominant). And, also post hornergate, Jonathan Wheatley, Historical sports director, went to Sauber to get fully into the future Audi project.

Horner’s ability was no longer enough to continue dodging bullets. The 20 -year -old wear of the team was great. To top it off, the Savior success knob went out. An indomitable RB21 put in check, almost definitely, the reign of Verstappen in 2025. It has no how to compete against the McLaren, not even its inexhaustible talent reaches. And the noise began on a possible exit of the champion at the close of the current exercise, executing a clause to terminate a contract that has it tied to the Austrian until 2028 inclusive.

These days, Red Bull has a specific and giant objective: retaining its star. With the new regulation that will enter into force in 2026, with brand new cars and engines, losing the ace of swords in the middle of a season that is a sea of doubts would be a large advantage. To top it off, in the corrillos of F1 it is commented that the own engine that Red Bull will use in 2026 (in Sociedad with Ford) would be lagging behind, in terms of performance, with respect to its rivals.

If retaining Max is fundamental, nothing better than running to Horner at this time. The English had a bad relationship with Jos and Raymond Vermeulen, Max’s manager. Speaking to The Telegraff, the champion agent said: “The Red Bull Directorate has informed us in advance that this decision has been made. It is up to Red Bull to give a more detailed explanation about the reason. We continue to prioritize the sporting aspect and we are looking for a higher performance to return to the top. In that sense, nothing will change.”

In the published statement, Red Bull just thanked Horner for his work in these 20 years, but without giving explanations of the decision. Not even English would have received a reason for its dismissal. His place occupies him, from today, Laurent Mekies, who was the Pope de Racing Bulls (Alan remains ascense as a general director in the second squad of drinks). Mekies has a good relationship with Verstappen and his family. Horner had the chopped ticket and in the Austrian team they waited for the right time, when the successes did not cloud their view, to jump the fuse that began to be in dance for two and a half years, and that a year and a half ago he walked through the cornice. Now it is full reconstruction time for a team that dominated the F1 and want to do it with Verstappen inside.