Horner leaves Red Bull after 20 years: What does that mean for Verstappen?

Horner leaves Red Bull after 20 years: What does that mean for Verstappen?

Red Bull Racing, Großbritannien - On July 9, 2025, the Formula 1 world was shaken when it became known that Christian Horner will be the team boss and CEO from Red Bull Racing after over 20 years. This decision came as a surprise, since Horner had been running the team with an impressive track record since it was founded. According to vol.at , resignation was confirmed on Wednesday with immediate effect. Laurent Mekies, who previously worked for the sister team Racing Bulls, takes over the leadership of the team.

Max Verstappen, who won four driver titles under Horner in a row from 2021 to 2024 and celebrated a total of 65 Grand Prix victories, Horner paid a personal message on social media respect. He thanked him for the "unforgettable races" and the "countless records" that they put together together. Raymond Vermeulen, Verstappens Manager, on the other hand, said cool and made it clear that the team was informed in advance about the decision. Vermeulen is already focusing on the sporting side and hoping for better performance.

a profound cut for Red Bull Racing

The resignation of Horner is considered a crucial cut in the history of Red Bull Racing. Under his leadership, the team won six Constructors Championships, which underlines Horner's high importance within the racing team. The interaction of Horner and Verstappen shaped a successful era that now ended. Verstappen is currently in third place in the driver's ranking, behind Lando Norris and Oscar Piatri, while Red Bull Racing occupies fourth place in the design classification, as Usatoday.com

The separation also came due to a health distancing from Chalerm Yoovidhya, the team's Thai majority owner. This development shows that changes within the team management can not only have sporting but also strategic reasons. Horner, who was considered one of the team's public faces, will probably leave a gap that will be difficult to fill.

What does the role of a team leader mean?

The tasks of a Formula 1 team boss are diverse and complex. According to Formel1.de is the top decision-m. Teams. In addition, there is responsibility for team performance and profitability as well as the creation of a motivating work environment. In modern Formula 1, many team chiefs are employees who are no longer directly involved in racing, which underlines the need for a clear strategic direction.

with Laurent Mekies at the head of Red Bull Racing and Alan Permane as a new engineer for the sister team Racing Bulls, a new course is being taken on the sporting ambitions and challenges of the coming seasons.