In 2024, Briton was the target of an internal investigation from which he was acquitted after being accused of sexual harassment by a team employee
The Briton was fired from Red Bull and replaced by Frenchman Laurent Mekies as the team’s head, announced the team on Wednesday (9), ending a 20-year collaboration. Horner, 51, joined only in 2005, leading Red Bull and winning six world builders and eight drivers, four with German Sebastian Vettell and four with Dutchman Max Verstappen. In 2024, he was the target of an internal investigation of which he was acquitted after being accused of sexual harassment by a team employee. “Red Bull released Christian Horner from its duties from today (July 9, 2025) and appointed Laurent Mekies as executive chief of Red Bull Racing,” the team said in a statement.
The decision comes after months when Red Bull’s performance suffered, surpassed by McLaren in the builders championship last year, and amid internal conflicts, mainly by charges against Horner and tense relations with Verstappen and his father. Also in recent months, Red Bull’s historic engineer Adrian Newey, creator of the world champion cars, went to competitor Aston Martin. Former Ferrari sports director, Mekies will have the mission of approaching McLaren’s Red Bull, a new team to be beaten in Formula 1, and convince Verstappen at the moment, while the Dutch is intended by Mercedes. With just two wins in 12 races of the season, Red Bull occupies fourth place in the builders championship, and Verstappen is the third in the pilots, behind Australian Oscar Piostri and Briton Lando Norris, both from McLaren.
Posted by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from AFP
