The Formula 1 paddock was rocked Wednesday by the news that Christian Horner, the longtime CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing, has been fired after a 20-year run that featured many race wins and championships with drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Horner’s dismissal comes after a sharp decline in Red Bull’s performance from its heights in 2023, as Verstappen’s performance has fallen off from its championship heights and the team’s second car has gone through multiple drivers while struggling to be competitive.
Considering the gravity of the news and the depth of his resume as an F1 team principal, Horner’s firing is sure to have a ripple effect that extends well beyond the headlines of the gap between last weekend’s British Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix later this month. The aftershock of Red Bull’s change could mean a new home for Verstappen in the near future, as well as a very prominent landing spot for Horner himself.
Christian Horner fired as Red Bull Racing’s longtime Formula 1 team principal
Cody Nagel
Could Max Verstappen change teams?
While Max Verstappen is under contract at Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season after winning four F1 World Championships for the organization, his future with the team has been the subject of speculation given Red Bull’s performance to start 2025 and the way Verstappen has been linked to a potential opening at Mercedes. Mercedes has yet to renew George Russell’s contract beyond this season, and also could have an opening if the team does not elect to bring back Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen had already been linked to Mercedes, as the two parties reportedly were loosely engaged in discussions about Verstappen potentially replacing Lewis Hamilton upon his departure for Ferrari. More serious speculation, however, has been egged on by Russell’s recent comments to Sky Sports that it is “only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff not only has not denied interest in Verstappen, but also has a friendship with Verstappen’s father and former F1 driver Jos Verstappen — and the elder Verstappen has had a complicated relationship with Red Bull, as he long clashed with Horner and was particularly publicly critical of him after he was accused of inappropriate behavior toward a female team employee.
Whether Verstappen remains Red Bull’s No. 1 driver or makes a move for Mercedes could be greatly influenced by the team’s performance without Horner as it tries to improve its car for 2025 while also preparing for regulation changes set to take effect in 2026. For what it’s worth, Verstappen put out a statement thanking Horner for their time and accomplishments together following his firing.
Could Horner wind up at Ferrari or Alpine?
In addition to talks about Verstappen’s future and whether Red Bull is a part of it, there had been some discussion as to whether Horner was long for Red Bull well before his firing Wednesday. Prior to the Spanish Grand Prix, German outlet Blid reported that Ferrari chairman John Elkann had reached out to Horner about possibly replacing Fred Vasseur as team principal. Horner denied that he was looking to move elsewhere during a press conference ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, but did not deny that he had been approached.
“Of course it’s always flattering to be associated with other teams, but my commitment 100 percent is with Red Bull,” Horner said in May. “It always has been and certainly will be for the long-term. There’s a bunch of speculation always in this business. People coming here, going there or whatever. I think people within the team know exactly what the situation is.”
With Horner now a free agent, talks of him potentially joining Ferrari could reignite, particularly as the Scuderia has struggled despite the blockbuster addition of Lewis Hamilton as driver. In addition to Ferrari, Horner has also been linked to potentially investing in Alpine, with Sky Sports’ David Croft speculating that Horner could pursue a similar path that Toto Wolff has at Mercedes.
“Ferrari was a speculation and that might be a bit wide of the mark as well and probably too soon to jump out of this frying pan and into a bigger one somewhere in Maranello,” Croft wrote Wednesday. “I think he’ll take some time out for the time being, he doesn’t have to rush into anything but I would imagine at some point in the not too distant future we’ll be stood outside a team base somewhere saying Christian Horner has come back into Formula 1.”
Prior to Wednesday, Horner had served as the only team principal Red Bull had ever had since it joined the grid in 2005, earning 124 victories, 107 pole positions, 287 podiums, eight drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ championships. Horner will be replaced by Laurent Mekies as CEO and team principal.
