Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner will exit the team with immediate effect, the company has confirmed. This brings an end to his 20-year stint at the helm of the team, during which Red Bull won eight drivers’ championships.
“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today (Wednesday, 9 July, 2025) and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing,” reads an official statement shared by Red Bull Racing.
Red Bull CEO of corporate projects and investments, Oliver Mintzlaff, added, “We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years. With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.”
- Horner exits Red Bull Racing after 20 years
- Laurent Mekies replaces Horner
- Alan Permane becomes new Racing Bulls team principal
Horner exits Red Bull F1 team
Why did Red Bull sack Horner?
Having led the team since it entered F1 in 2005, Horner played a crucial role in building Red Bull Racing to become the F1 powerhouse it is today. Red Bull hasn’t confirmed exactly what prompted the shock decision to fire Horner mid-season. However, he has been at the centre of plenty of controversy in the past few months.
Horner was involved in a misconduct scandal early last year. He was cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation conducted by Red Bull. However, the damage was already done, and the scandal only added to rumours of a power struggle within Red Bull, with Horner on one side and Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen’s father Jos on the other side.
Red Bull’s recent performance decline hasn’t helped matters either. Key personnel, including superstar F1 designer Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and strategy head Will Courtenay, have moved to other teams. And after a dominant run that saw Verstappen secure four back-to-back titles, it’s evident that Red Bull is struggling on track this year. The team currently stands fourth in the teams’ championship with 172 points, 288 points behind the championship leader, McLaren.
Moreover, the team still hasn’t figured out a solution to its second driver problem. Verstappen alone has scored 165 of the team’s 172 points so far this season. After a difficult British GP where he finished last, Yuki Tsunoda even admitted that he was a “bit lost” about his lack of pace.
This downturn in performance has also led to speculation that Verstappen is eyeing a move to Mercedes, despite having a contract with Red Bull that runs till 2028.
Laurent Mekies confirmed as Horner’s replacement
Alan Permane is new Racing Bulls team principal
Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies will replace Horner as Red Bull Racing’s new CEO. Meanwhile, the sister team’s racing director, Alan Permane, will be promoted to team principal at Racing Bulls.
“It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people. The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning,” said Mekies.
“Alan is the perfect man to take over now and continue our path. He knows the team inside out and has always been an important pillar of our early successes.”
