Horner had been at the helm of the Red Bull team since they were founded in 2005, taking them to eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ titles. A statement published on 9 July stated: “Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational responsibilities with effect today.”
He has been replaced as team principal and chief executive of Red Bull Racing by Laurent Mekies, who has been promoted from the second team, Racing Bulls.
BBC Sport F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions. Red Bull released a statement saying that it had “released Christian Horner from his operational duties”.
It said nothing else regarding Horner’s employment status. Horner did so himself, by stating in his farewell address to Red Bull employees: “I will still be employed by the company, but, operationally, the baton will be passed.”
It does not imply that Horner will still have a part to play at Red Bull in the future. He won’t. His involvement with Red Bull is at an end. He has been sacked as team principal and chief executive officer of the F1 outfit, and the moment a deal to be let go with a payoff is agreed, he will no longer even be technically on the payroll.
That might take some time to seal. But any connection or sway Horner has with or over Red Bull is over. Jos Verstappen’s role at Red Bull starts and finishes with the fact that he is Max Verstappen’s dad and one of the three people who have input on the four-time world champion’s career – that being Max himself, Jos and Raymond Vermeulen, their manager.
But that doesn’t mean Jos Verstappen played any role in Red Bull getting rid of Horner as their F1 team principal. That choice was made by Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s head of corporate projects and investments, and seconded by the Thai majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya. Mark Mateschitz – son of the late co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who succeeded his father in his 49% stakeholding – will also have had a voice.
It was Yoovidhya who rescued Horner in February last year, following a complaint of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour from a female employee against him. Red Bull conducted two internal inquiries, both of which dismissed the claims.
Yoovidhya and Mintzlaff are aware, at least a year and a half now, that Jos Verstappen didn’t like Horner and that he felt the team would continue to be hurt if Horner were in charge.
That wasn’t why Horner was dismissed. He was dismissed because, in addition to Mintzlaff and Mateschitz being cold on him for a good while, he lost the support of Yoovidhya. This appears to have been a consequence of a gathering of Red Bull hierarchy in Dubai some five or six weeks ago.
The exact circumstances of what occurred and why remain unclear, but several things appear to have been at play. Horner was resisting Red Bull bosses’ opinions, as one would expect of someone who had ultimate control desire.
The performance of the team had fallen, and there were no indications that Horner understood how to turn it around. A string of senior staff had departed. And the sexual harassment claims are the elephant in the room – one does not know how they will end up. Put all that together, and it appears Mintzlaff said enough was enough, and Yoovidhya was not inclined to defend Horner any further.
