Why Christian Horner was dismissed by Red Bull: Bernie Ecclestone weighs in. Bernie Ecclestone explains Christian Horner’s dismissal from Red Bull Racing.

Yesterday, Red Bull Racing officially ended all ties with Christian Horner, bringing to a close an era defined by six Constructors’ Championships and eight Drivers’ Championships in nearly 21 years of activity. Such an extraordinary record is difficult for anyone to match, making the position Horner leaves behind one of the most challenging roles in Formula 1.

Bernie Ecclestone, former Formula 1 boss, shared his perspective on the highly discussed dismissal during an interview with ‘F1 Destinations’. The former F1 CEO explained what, in his view, led to Christian Horner’s removal from Red Bull in the days following the British Grand Prix, officially announced on July 9th.

“After the passing of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, the leadership vision within Red Bull shifted, and certain figures within the organization had ideas about management that were no longer favorable to Christian Horner,” Bernie Ecclestone told ‘Crash.net’. “He did an excellent job, but he was perceived as Max Verstappen. Essentially, he became a personality too closely identified with the driver, without a clear number two alongside him.”

Ecclestone elaborated further on the team dynamics: “You cannot criticize someone who consistently wins races and championships, but the team had already prepared a Plan B in case things did not go smoothly with either Christian Horner or Max Verstappen.” According to Ecclestone, the critical mistake for Red Bull—and more specifically for Christian Horner—was building a team that was overly tailored around a single driver.

“When you create a team structured too much around one driver, performance becomes heavily skewed in favor of one side of the garage, which inevitably affects the overall efficiency of the team,” Ecclestone continued. “This is what happens when you become too attached to one driver, and eventually problems arise. Having two drivers of roughly equal standing is always a positive approach. Just look at what is happening at McLaren as an example.”

These circumstances ultimately led to the scenario that unfolded: Christian Horner was stripped of all his responsibilities, and Laurent Mekies was appointed as the new team principal. Only time will reveal the direction in which the Austrian management’s decisions will take the team, and whether this change will affect Red Bull’s competitive edge in the seasons ahead.