FLASH NEWS
"Lightning" in the open sky, Formula 1 team dismisses director after 2 decades
2025-07-09 12:19:38 / SPORT
Red Bull Racing has fired Christian Horner after two decades at the helm. The Formula One team announced on Wednesday it had fired its long-time team principal, amid a turbulent season that could ultimately lead to the departure of Max Verstappen. Horner was the longest-serving team principal in F1.
"We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the past 20 years," Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaf said in a statement.
“With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and exciting teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team’s history.”
RB team principal Laurent Mekies will take over as CEO of Red Bull Racing. Mekies has been responsible for Red Bull's junior team in F1. RB racing director Alan Permane will take over from Mekies as team principal at RB.
Horner's departure comes after Verstappen qualified on pole position for the British Grand Prix despite a car he struggled with all weekend. Verstappen was passed for the lead by Oskar Piastri early in the race and spun from second place on a rainy restart before recovering to finish fifth.
Verstappen, the four-time reigning F1 champion, is third in the points standings behind Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Verstappen is 69 points behind Piastri and 61 points behind Norris.
More worrying for Red Bull, however, is its place in the constructors' standings. The team is fourth behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes with 172 points. All but seven of those points have been scored by Verstappen, as the team's second-place performance has been a major problem.
Liam Lawson was selected to take over as Verstappen's teammate at the start of the season. However, he lasted just two races at Red Bull, after struggling with the car. Yuki Tsunoda moved up from third place at RB with Lawson returning to the youth team, and Tsunoda has not been any quicker at Red Bull than he was in third place at RB.
Tsunoda has scored the other seven points in three of his nine starts. He has finished no better than ninth for the team and is on a five-race pointless streak. Meanwhile, Lawson has scored 12 points in those five races and is now ahead of Tsunoda in the standings.
Happening now...
America may withdraw from Europe, but not from SPAK
Nga Gentian Gaba
ideas
top
Alfa recipes
TRENDING 
services
- POLICE129
- STREET POLICE126
- AMBULANCE112
- FIREFIGHTER128