Oliver Mintzlaff, head of Red Bull, has commented on the change of team principal at Milton Keynes, highlighting that success cannot always rely on past achievements and that the team is now more focused. He also addressed the role of Helmut Marko in recent years.
After 20 years, the collaboration between Red Bull Racing and team principal Christian Horner ended abruptly at the start of 2025, with the Briton resigning due to disappointing performance, even before the summer break began.
Christian Horner’s position had been under pressure for some time following accusations made against him in early 2024, which continued over several months. Laurent Mekies, promoted from Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls, was appointed as his replacement.
Since then, Red Bull’s performance has improved, and the team appears to have stabilized. Mintzlaff, whose official title is CEO of Corporate Projects and New Investments, told De Telegraaf that action was necessary after a disappointing first half of the season.
“I am not the type of manager who just fires someone; Christian has an excellent track record with the team and has achieved many successes. Everyone in the company, including me, appreciates what he has done. But this is also part of a professional organization. You can’t just rely on history, and we felt it was time to turn the page and start a new chapter,” Oliver Mintzlaff emphasized.
“It was not an easy decision and it was not taken lightly. But I do not agree with Helmut Marko’s statements.”
Marko, who recently announced he plans to leave his position at the end of 2025, claimed the last years with Horner “were not pleasant,” saying the former team principal engaged in “dirty games” and “lied about everything and everyone.”
“Perhaps Marko has changed over the years,” Oliver Mintzlaff replied. “I believe it’s normal that things are not the same as five years ago. Christian and Helmut worked extremely well together for years, since the beginning in 2005. So we are talking about over 20 years. Give me an example of another major sports organization where the executive team has remained the same for so long.”
“Some may view it negatively that both have left. But on the contrary, I would say it’s unique that they were together for so long and achieved so much. Sometimes a refresh is needed to give things a boost.”
According to Oliver Mintzlaff, the leadership change with Laurent Mekies as the new team principal has provided the focus Red Bull needed.
“Let’s say it was an open secret; there were too many things going on inside and around the team. This distracted us, and in recent months we have seen that performance improves when everyone is 100% focused.”
“And even without having the best car, Max almost became champion and won most of the races this year.”
Oliver Mintzlaff’s perspective highlights that Red Bull’s decision to move on from the Horner and Marko era was a calculated necessity to eliminate internal distractions and refocus on performance. By prioritizing the team’s future over its 20-year history, the leadership change to Laurent Mekies has successfully stabilized the squad and allowed Max Verstappen to remain at the forefront of the championship battle.
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