Christian Horner‘s shock Red Bull exit took the Formula One world by surprise, as much for the timing as anything, but seemingly brings an end to a power struggle that had been bubbling away behind the scenes.
Horner’s departure from the team he has spent 20 years leading was announced on Wednesday, with Red Bull confirming they had released him from his contract with immediate effect.
Horner’s position at the head of the team, which earned him £12million-a-year, has never truly seemed nailed down ever since the explosive texting scandal which emerged last season over messages he allegedly sent to a female employee.
Screenshots of alleged WhatsApp messages between Horner and a Red Bull employee were leaked anonymously the day after a three-week investigation, carried out externally, cleared the 51-year-old of all allegations.
An independent lawyer interviewed Horner for almost nine hours, it is understood. The file allegedly containing texts and images was leaked to almost 200 people involved in the sport, including owners Liberty Media, team principals and the media.
Horner was then exonerated for a second time after the female employee appealed against the findings of the investigation, which were upheld. The 51-year-old has continued to strenuously deny the allegations.
Christian Horner’s contract as Red Bull boss has been terminated as of Wednesday morning
The 51-year-old former chief was subject of an explosive texting scandal which emerged last season
His former Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell stood by him throughout the allegations, which he has continued to deny
However, though the indication is that Red Bull have parted ways with Horner for sporting reasons, his removal as team boss comes after a ‘significant power struggle’, according to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf.
Max Verstappen is very much the jewel in Red Bull’s crown, but his father Jos has been one of the most outspoken voices against Horner, and has been a massively influential figure in the four-time world champion’s career.
Last year, he had a blazing row with Horner and claimed the team would ‘explode’ if he remained in post after allegations of ‘coercive behaviour’.
He made the incendiary comments as the most toxic weekend in Formula One history concluded with Verstappen Jnr taking a crushing victory at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
‘There is tension here while he remains in position,’ Verstappen Snr told Mail Sport. ‘The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.’
Later in 2024, in June, Verstappen Snr claimed that Horner prevented him from taking part in the legends parade ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, a suggestion which was denied. Verstappen Snr is understood to have rejected Horner’s handshake when they met in the team’s hospitality area.
Then, in August, with Verstappen’s bid for a fourth consecutive crown looking under threat from Lando Norris and McLaren, Verstappen Snr had another pop at the increasingly under pressure Horner.
He told German outlet Bild: ‘Internally, you should hold a mirror up to yourself and not always gloss over everything. It is time – if it is not already too late – to question ourselves.
His position had been vocally questioned by star driver Max Verstappen’s father Jos
The two were reported to have had a blazing row last year in the wake of the allegations
‘The good people are leaving the team. I’m very unhappy with what’s happening. Max won’t be satisfied with having a car like that. Now it’s up to Horner to get the team back on track.’
When asked whether he trusts Horner to turn things around at Red Bull, Jos said: ‘I’ll be surprised, but at the moment I’m saying no. A lot has to happen. The whole spirit has to change.’
Verstappen Snr is by no means thought to be the only figure in opposition to Horner’s continued stewardship, with De Telegraaf reporting there were differences in opinion around the 51-year-old between the team’s Thai and Austrian branches.
Thai owner Chalerm Voodivhya – who holds a 51 per cent stake in Red Bull – is believed to have been firmly in Horner’s camp, and even posed for pictures with Horner at the Austrian Grand Prix earlier this summer.
However, following the team’s poor performance in their home race – with Verstappen not finishing the race and Yuki Tsunoda last in 16th – and missing out on the podium at Silverstone, emergency talks are thought to have taken place between Voodivhya, Mark Mateschitz (joint-owner), and sporting director Oliver Mintzlaff.
Mateschitz – son of founder Dietrich, who was a big supporter of Horner – was not thought to be as huge a fan of the now-ex-pit boss.
The energy drink scion is thought to have wanted Horner dispatched ‘quickly’ – before the verdict of the investigation was confirmed – but the protection the principal was granted by Yoovidhya made doing so difficult at the time.
Similarly, Austrian chief Mintzlaff was reported by Mail Sport last year to consider Horner ‘too expensive and too senior’ – a fact seemingly disputed by the Thai powerbase.
Horner retained the support of Thai 51 per cent stakeholder Chalerm Voovidhya throughout the ordeal
Mark, Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz’s son, does not have the same veto power in the organisation as his father
Oliver Mintzlaff (right) and Dr Helmut Marko (left) were also believed to be opposed to Horner
The situation with Marko is further muddied by the Marko’s close relationship with Verstappen
Minztlaff was also reportedly keen to centralise power in Austria, alongside the company’s other sporting brands. This thinking is in turn said to be backed by a man thought to be Horner’s biggest opponent, Dr Helmut Marko.
There is thought to be little love lost between Marko – Red Bull’s special advisor – and Horner; a situation made all the more complex by the former’s close relationship with Verstappen.
As the head of Red Bull’s driver development programme, Marko was an early and passionate advocate of Verstappen, who remains extremely close to the Austrian, and is said to have pushed for his three-season extension.
Rumours of jostling between the two figureheads bubbled close to the surface last season, with speculation rife that Horner was keen have a greater say across both Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri (now RB), at the expense of Marko.
Outlet F1 Insider had previously reported that Horner ‘had planned and was (was) still planning a coup’ against the 80-year-old.
Whatever the division of allegiances within the Red Bull paddock, the 51-year-old now-former pit boss has seemingly lost the battle, and the news of his departure was announced with little fanfare from the team he led for two decades.
Red Bull’s statement simply read: ‘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.’
Scant, but to the point, it has seemingly drawn an end to both the tenure of the grid’s longest-reigning principal, and a struggle for power behind the scenes that has long been bubbling away.
