Red Bull team principal Christian Horner fired after 20 years with team

Red Bull Group’s Head of Sport, Oliver Mintzlaff, spoke about the decision.

A short while ago, surprising news emerged – Red Bull have dismissed Christian Horner, who had worked with the Austrian team for 20 years.

He had been Red Bull’s team boss since 2005 and led the team to six Constructors’ Championships and eight Drivers’ Championships.

Horner’s contract with Red Bull was set to run until the end of 2030, but due to recent performance results, the Austrian team decided to part ways with him. The idea reportedly came from Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull Group’s Head of Sport.

“We want to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the past 20 years. With his commitment, experience, and innovative thinking, he played a key role in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful teams in Formula 1,” said Mintzlaff.

It’s worth noting that over the past 18 months, Red Bull have parted ways with several leading specialists — for example, legendary designer Adrian Newey has moved to Aston Martin, while Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley has joined Sauber.

Horner’s final race with Red Bull turned out to be the British Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen started from pole position but finished in fifth place.

The Dutch driver had won Formula 1 four times in a row, but this season he trails the current leader, Oscar Piastri, by 69 points. Red Bull currently sit fourth in the Constructors’ Standings with 288 points — behind McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.