Christian Horner will no longer serve as the Team Principal of the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team. The British manager, who founded and led the team to multiple world championships, has been replaced at the helm by Laurent Mekies. Mekies, who until now had been working with the Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri), sees his role there taken over by Alan Permane, a long-time figure in the paddock.
The news of Christian Horner’s dismissal has made waves across the paddock and has prompted strong reactions, particularly from former Formula 1 driver and ex-FIA Steward Johnny Herbert. Known for his open criticism and complicated past relationship with the Verstappen family, Herbert offered his perspective on the major shake-up in Milton Keynes while speaking to escapistmagazine.com.
“I’m not surprised that Christian Horner has been fired,” Johnny Herbert explained. “Given everything that happened when the internal investigation within Red Bull became public and led to the exit of Adrian Newey, it was inevitable that a change at the top would eventually happen. It took a bit of time, but I believe this is the right direction for Red Bull Racing moving forward.”
Herbert also emphasized that the American automotive giant Ford, which is set to become Red Bull’s technical partner from the 2026 season, was reportedly unhappy with the situation surrounding Horner’s conduct and the resulting scandal. “I know Ford wasn’t pleased when the scandal came to light. At that point, Horner found himself in an increasingly untenable position inside the organization. Things began to evolve quickly from there.”
The former F1 driver didn’t shy away from connecting the situation to tensions involving Jos Verstappen, father of reigning world champion Max Verstappen. “I know Jos Verstappen wanted Christian out of the team, and now it’s happened. The Verstappen family has effectively gotten everything they wanted.”
However, Johnny Herbert remains skeptical about whether this will be enough to secure Max Verstappen’s long-term future with Red Bull Racing. “It might be sufficient for Max to stay—at least for now—but I’m not entirely convinced it will be enough in the long run. There’s still a great deal of rebuilding to do at Red Bull. It could take up to four years to restore the team to a point where they’re capable of consistently winning races again.”
The former FIA official also referenced the persistent rumors suggesting a potential move for Max Verstappen to Mercedes for the 2026 Formula 1 season. “The speculation about Max possibly joining Mercedes next season is getting stronger, and I think that’s yet another indicator that Red Bull may be entering a period of decline.”
Herbert concluded by stressing that although Horner’s departure might come as a shock to many within the sport, it was a necessary move considering everything that has transpired. “This decision has surprised a lot of people in the paddock, but I believe it was the right call. What happened in the past would have remained a burden for Red Bull regardless, and moving forward without addressing it wasn’t a viable option.”
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