Christian Horner, Max Verstappen, Helmut Marko

Red Bull Racing breaks its silence and responds to Horner's dismissal

13:58, 09 Jul

Updated: 14:19, 09 Jul

byNicole Mulder

Red Bull Racing issued its first official response to Christian Horner's dismissal on Wednesday afternoon. In a brief statement, the team expressed its gratitude to Horner, acknowledging his two decades of leadership at the helm of one of Formula 1’s most successful teams.

Red Bull finally reacts to Horner's Dismissal

“After 20 years with the Team, Christian Horner departs Oracle Red Bull Racing as Team Principal and CEO," the statement begins.

"We thank him for his tireless and exceptional work. He has been instrumental in building this Team into one of the most successful in F1, with eight Drivers' Championships and six Constructors' Championships."

The team concluded with a personal message: “Thank you for everything, Christian, you will forever remain an important part of our team's history."

Horner was officially relieved of his duties on Wednesday morning by Red Bull GmbH's top management.

Martin Brundle admitted that he was 'quite sad' Horner had been let go at Red Bull, also stating that he had spoken to the Brit for the first time since his departure from the team.

He will be succeeded by Laurent Mekies, formerly the team principal of sister outfit Racing Bulls, who now steps in as CEO of Red Bull Racing. Alan Permane will take over Mekies’ role as team principal at Racing Bulls.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen's manager, Raymond Vermeulen, has also reacted to Horner's dismissal.

The same goes for internet users, who have clear theories about Verstappen and a possible move to Mercedes.

Horner has been at the head of the team since 2005 and was closely involved in the development of Red Bull Racing and the world titles with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. In 2024, he came under pressure again due to internal tensions and disappointing results.

We took an in-depth look back through Horner's entire career upon hearing the news of his Red Bull departure, which you can read by clicking this link.