After two decades presiding over one of Formula 1`s most dominant periods, Christian Horner has been removed from his post as Team Principal of Red Bull Racing. The news, which brought his lengthy tenure to an abrupt close, was reportedly delivered to Horner on Tuesday. The following day, he addressed the staff at the team`s Milton Keynes headquarters in an emotional farewell speech.
Horner, 51, described his dismissal as a “shock,” a sentiment that underscores the suddenness of the decision after 20 years building the team from a new entrant into a championship-winning powerhouse. While he stated he would remain employed by the company – a common arrangement known as gardening leave, expected to last until the end of the year – his operational involvement ceases immediately.
Sources indicate the farewell address was highly emotional, with Horner becoming tearful as he spoke to his former colleagues. He expressed deep gratitude for their contributions over two decades, reflecting on the journey they had shared. “When I arrived 20 years ago, there were a few less grey hairs,” he is quoted as saying, acknowledging the scale of the undertaking and the transformation achieved. Being part of the team`s development, he noted, had been the “biggest privilege” of his life.
Significantly, Horner reportedly told colleagues, and relayed through channels like F1 commentator Martin Brundle, that he was given no specific reason for his abrupt departure. This lack of a stated cause adds a layer of intrigue to the exit of the man who steered Red Bull to multiple world championships, including four consecutive drivers` and constructors` titles with Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013, and Max Verstappen`s four consecutive drivers` championships from 2021 to 2024, alongside the constructors` crowns in 2022 and 2023.
Looking ahead, Horner voiced particular regret about not seeing the culmination of the Red Bull Powertrains project, the team`s significant investment in developing its own Formula 1 engine for the new regulations arriving in 2026. “What lies ahead with [Red Bull] Powertrains is truly exciting and I will just be very sad I won`t be here to see the engine performance,” he remarked, highlighting a future he will now observe from a distance.
Laurent Mekies, previously at the helm of the sister Racing Bulls team, is understood to be stepping into a senior leadership role, likely the “new CEO” Horner mentioned in his speech. Horner offered his full support to the incoming management, with a final instruction to “look after all of you,” directed at the assembled team members.
Adding a public coda to his departure, Horner later posted a message on social media. Alongside thanking the Red Bull staff, he included a notable tribute to the team`s rivals. He acknowledged the role of competition in driving innovation and making successes more meaningful. “Thank you to our rivals, with whom there would be no racing at all. You`ve pushed us, challenged us, and enabled us to achieve accolades we never dreamed possible,” he wrote, describing Formula 1 as a sport built on ambition, passion, and respect, where fierce rivalries coexist with a mutual drive to raise the bar. A perhaps surprisingly gracious sign-off from a figure known for his competitive spirit.
Christian Horner leaves behind a remarkable legacy of success at Red Bull Racing. His departure, marked by emotion and questions surrounding its cause, signifies the close of a pivotal chapter in the team`s history and the broader landscape of Formula 1.
