Jess
Christian Horner’s position at Red Bull has sparked intense debate since accusations against him emerged in 2024.
The wave of resignations from key Red Bull personnel last year, particularly Adrian Newey, fueled speculation that Horner would either be sacked or choose to leave.
Now, those rumours have materialised into reality. After years of leadership and several mid-season driver dismissals, Christian Horner faced his own mid-season dismissal following the British Grand Prix.
AMUS reported that Horner’s reluctance to relinquish multiple roles contributed to his sacking—a straightforward explanation for Red Bull’s 18-month downward spiral. But is that the whole story?
The Verstappen Camp
Tensions between Horner and Jos Verstappen, Max Verstappen’s father, have circulated in the media for months, with one rumor surfacing as recently as the British Grand Prix. Max Verstappen’s dissatisfaction with Red Bull is well-known. He has defended the drivers in the second seat, asserting that the issues stem from Red Bull’s car development.
Sergio Perez recently revealed that the team ignored both his and Verstappen’s concerns about the car during the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix.
Now, Verstappen is reportedly in talks with Mercedes about a potential contract.
Like Horner, Verstappen claims his loyalty lies with Red Bull, but he is equally committed to winning, something the inconsistent Red Bull car has failed to deliver. Verstappen has earned praise as the only driver capable of pushing the current Red Bull car to its limits, achieving stellar results that place him third in the Championship. If he were to leave, Red Bull would lose its star driver and risk falling down the grid.
It makes sense that Red Bull’s higher-ups would do everything possible to retain Verstappen. According to Erik Van Haren, the Verstappen camp did not demand Horner’s departure. This suggests either that no contract discussions with Verstappen took place or that they did not offer enough incentive to sweeten his deal.
However, the issue may not lie with Horner as an individual. Instead, the strained management, lackluster car performance, and high-profile personnel losses can all be traced back to Horner’s leadership. To address these problems, shareholders likely felt a change was necessary.
Money and PR
Horner firmly denied the accusations against him last year, along with retirement rumors, reiterating his loyalty to Red Bull. He made similar statements at the Canadian Grand Prix to Sky Sports, unaware of the fate that awaited him.
However, the situation at Red Bull was more complex than it appeared. Reports in 2024 indicated an internal struggle among Red Bull’s shareholders, with Horner reportedly aligning with the Thai faction. Red Bull’s majority shareholders are divided into two camps: Austrian and Thai. Horner had enjoyed the support of the Thai side since the death of Red Bull’s founder, and this backing continued throughout 2024.
Yet, 2024 brought performance and personnel challenges to Red Bull’s Milton Keynes headquarters. High-profile figures like Jonathan Wheatley and Adrian Newey left the team to pursue new opportunities. Although never explicitly stated, it is believed that Newey’s departure stemmed from his aversion to the internal conflicts within Red Bull Racing.
These departures publicly undermined the team, contradicting their claims that no one planned to leave. From the moment car genius Newey went on gardening leave, the car’s performance plummeted. Poor car performance, a second-driver battle involving three drivers across two Red Bull-owned teams, and a discontented world champion all contributed to negative public relations.
In Formula 1, money drives everything, and public relations are closely tied to performance and profit. An unstable team and car breed a lack of confidence in business operations. Sponsors and shareholders prefer stability and performance over uncertainty, because these better line their pockets.
Horner’s misconduct accusations tarnished Red Bull Racing’s reputation. Many, including myself, believe he should have stepped down while investigations were underway. His continued employment for an additional year, as noted in his farewell speech to the team, highlights a troubling lack of empathy and ethics within Red Bull.
Engaging with the rapidly growing, predominantly female demographic of new Formula 1 fans becomes challenging when those fans cannot trust the organization’s leadership.
So Why Now?
The Austrian faction of Red Bull sought Horner’s removal in 2024, primarily due to performance declines and second-seat issues. However, they lacked the voting power to do so compared to the Thai side. Last week, that dynamic shifted.
Charlerm Yoovidhya, son of the Thai businessman who co-founded Red Bull, owned 2% of the shares in the company, while the original family members held 49% each. On May 20th, Yoovidhya transferred that stake to a trust company, equalizing the shareholdings between the Thai and Austrian sides.
Reports suggest that the Austrian side now holds the final voting rights on matters that cannot be mutually agreed upon. Although it appears that Red Bull’s recent struggles led Horner to lose support from his Thai backers, the Austrians had wanted him gone a year prior. Ultimately, it seems to have been a mutual decision.
With Red Bull’s new team principal stepping into the role, the team may find itself back on stable ground. However, with the reported deadline for Verstappen’s contract negotiations looming over the final races of the first half of the season, that stability may remain elusive for some time.
Where will Christian Horner go next?
A few weeks ago, he revealed to F1 media that Ferrari had approached him to replace Fred Vasseur.
After a challenging start to the season, where Ferrari secured P2 in the constructors’ standings in Barcelona following a series of difficult qualifying sessions and a double disqualification in China, the team and its passionate tifosi had hoped to contend for both championships this season.
Despite the interest, Horner claimed he turned down the offer, citing his loyalty to Red Bull. However, discussing such a conversation publicly raises eyebrows. Was he trying to provoke Ferrari, or was this a subtle hint that his replacement at Red Bull was back on the table?
Compounding this speculation, reports surfaced indicating that Horner had lost the authority to sign driver contracts. Clearly, Red Bull had begun to strip him of his powers before delivering the final blow in true Red Bull fashion: a mid-season dismissal.
Since the news broke, sources close to Ferrari have stated that Horner is no longer on their radar, as they focus on renewing Vasseur’s contract.
But another team has shown interest: Alpine.
Our first thought immediately turned to Alpine. Flavio Briatore, known for his controversial past, is actively seeking a new team principal for Alpine. Who better than the man who led a new team to multiple championships in F1? Briatore, and by extension Alpine, seem to embrace the philosophy that any PR is good PR, so Horner’s legal troubles would likely not deter them.
A month ago, GPBlog reported that Christian Horner is under consideration for the Alpine Team Principal position. Briatore has openly expressed his admiration for Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, and bringing Horner on board could be a strategic move to entice Verstappen to Alpine. However, such a scenario seems improbable, as Verstappen remains loyal to Red Bull, fast cars, and Helmut Marko—none of which Alpine currently possesses. Additionally, the Verstappen-Gasly pairing is a story that has already been told.
As it stands, Steve Nielsen appears to be the leading candidate for the Alpine Team Principal role. However, one can’t help but wonder how Pierre Gasly would feel about having Horner as his team principal once again.
