Details of Christian Horner’s dismissal from the Red Bull Formula 1 team have been revealed, with reports claiming the crucial meeting took place in a London hotel.
Horner was fired by the Milton Keynes-based squad on Wednesday after 20 years in the role, additionally ending his tenure as F1’s longest-serving team boss.
The 51-year-old was immediately replaced as Team Principal and CEO by Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies.
Horner made an emotional statement to the team’s personnel at Milton Keynes the same day, as his exit was made public.
According to German newspaper Bild, Horner was informed of the decision at a London hotel by Red Bull’s CEO, Oliver Mintzlaff and senior advisor Helmut Marko, on the Tuesday leading up to the British Grand Prix.
However, the same publication has also reported that the initial plans to remove Horner from his post began a week earlier at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, when Mintzlaff met with Mark Mateschitz and Chalerm Yoovidhya, two of Red Bull’s key stakeholders.
This was followed by a Zoom call in which the decision was made final.
It was reported that Horner’s previously stellar relationship with Yoovidhya had soured after Horner had shown a lack of interest in overseeing additional areas of the organisation, including its marketing and technical operations departments, as well as its powertrains department.
Further speculation says that Yoovidhya and Max Verstappen – whose father Jos had publicly stated his contention with Horner – were not at a clay pigeon shoot, an event held by the team before the British Grand Prix every season.
These reports would point towards a continuing trend of speculation that those in the Verstappen camp were keen for the team to be rid of Horner, in an effort to tempt the reigning World Champion into staying with the team, amid increasing rumours of an impending switch to Mercedes.
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i think RB will fade away.
Just like ur hopes and dreams
Nobody is forced to purchase red bull products.
Horner is into racing not soft drinks you don’t employ a cafe owner to run a racing garage and vice versa red bull director’s should stick to the business and leave the racing to the team I’ve always said that red bull uses the F1 as a sales platform and nothing else
It seems the verstappens run the drinks company team for their own ends, who the he’ll do they think they are
yquvr4
RB have made a huge mistake and catalogue of errors to suit the Verstappen ego.
Christian Horner IS Red Bull.
May RB sink forever more and take the Verstappen family down with them
Too right, How foolish of RB, they’ve just played themselves out. like him or not, Horner was good at his job, RB have sacrificed Horner for Verstappens good, but Verstappen is leaving RB for Merc, which leaves RB in a right mess. Thats what you call a lose lose situation.
The Verstappens run the show. They have for a long while.
I can’t see the team getting an better with the new guy.
Horner will end up with some other team & do an excellent job there.
He’s not into soft drinks, he’s into racing.
Rebull will no longer feature for me and the familia. Josh verstappen was a 3rd rate racer who wants to relive his life through his son. Max is a good racer but he is only one of a team and Not the team. Christian Horner is seriously good at his job. His and his teams accomplishments speak for themselves. Redbull have made a grave mistake by getting rid of the one man thats put them on the F1 map. Just shows you get ignorant people with money as much as you get poor ignorant people. Josh verstappen is at the centre of all this stupidity!! I hope that Christian will find his space in F1 again and hopefully with a team that can appreciate what he brings to the table!! Josh, Max and the Redbull idiots can now allngo to hell!! They have lost us as supporters!! GO MCLAREN! GO NORRIS!!
I know nothing about racing and I’m Dutch. But intuitively I agree with the above comments that Horner must be the best and letting him go must be to do with some ego trip. (Verstappens ego trip). Dumb decision.
Why is my comment not posted?
I really love that man his just a year ahead of me, he’s so humble and quiet not arrogant but cool. Morespecially in his interview after the race, I started to like red bull just because of him, may you be blessed brother on your way out as iit said in the Torah that you will be blessed when get out and you come in. I believe that it will really happen to you as per Torah’s revelation.
Be blessed my brother along with your descendants in the name of YEHOVAH the GOD of the universe
0bvj24
Red Bull have shot themselves in the foot, big time! Josh Verstappen and Helmut Marko are the two who should be escorted permanently off the premises.
The Rebull shareholders are obviously threatened by vastappennen family it must be more than what anyone relies which could be any dirty secret that no one will ever guess.
I worked in Holland for a lot of years with vehicles sports. I only what I was told. Wihilst is well known Josh vastappennen. Had very big friends in CUBA.
Drugs and people will fall off the face of the planet
With big friends in Cuba.
That’s my personal opinion.
The man is washed up old as been trying to live his life through his son.
Big Mistake Red Bull shareholders with dirty secrets people who know about your dirty secrets have great power and a small cock.
Mr Christian Horner sir you are the god of F1
I wish you the greatest success in your new future
Jos needs to be removed and prevented from interfering in other people’s employment. It’s clear he is living his own dreams through his son as he couldn’t accomplish it himself
Are McLaren paying Jos Verstappen ?
I ask this as he has successfully destroyed RB.
Mr Horner will go on to make another average team i to winners.