Red Bull has shockingly fired Christian Horner after 20 fruitful years as team principal. The team confirmed the news on Thursday, Philippine time, putting to rest speculation about Horner’s future and status.
Horner, ultimately, was the biggest casualty of Red Bull’s trying year so far even after his sterling record in steering Red Bull’s dominant showings at the start of the 2010s and this current decade. The team, though, has struggled mightily in 2025 and appear to be in danger of losing star driver Max Verstappen, whose status with Red Bull is reportedly being monitored closely by Mercedes.
“We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” senior Red Bull team member Oliver Mintzlaff said in a statement. “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.”
Mintzlaff, incidentally, was among the high-ranking Red Bull officials who have long pushed for the team to change its leadership, and according to ESPN, he was involved in at least one meeting leading up to Horner’s firing this week.
Where Max Verstappen Fits in the Firing of Christian Horner?
Christian Horner’s firing in some ways appeared inevitable. After all, he was already on thin ice so to speak as his relationship with Red Bull’s top brass was reportedly fractured after co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz died in 2022. His much-publicized falling out with Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, and the sexual misconduct allegations he had to face in 2024 (he was cleared of the charges) did not help either. Red Bull’s early struggles this season appears to have been the straw that broke the camel’s proverbial back.
But F1 insiders speculate that Horner’s firing is as much about appeasing the Verstappens as Red Bull looks to keep the reigning F1 champion, who is in the books up until 2026. However, sources within F1 say that Verstappen has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave Red Bull if he is lower than third in the drivers’ championship after the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3. That is potentially in play as the Dutchman is just 18 points ahead of fourth-placed George Russell.
Verstappen has not publicly commented on him potentially leaving Red Bull, but reports indicate that Jos and agent Raymond Vermeulen are seriously considering that reported transfer to Mercedes should the aforementioned clause kick in. Incidentally, the younger Verstappen has been coy abou Christian Horner and has refused to speak about the man whose leadership brought Red Bull all of its 124 race wins, 6 constructors’ and 6 drivers’ championships.
