Milton Keynes, England — Red Bull Racing sent shockwaves through Formula 1 on Wednesday, by reportedly sacking team principal Christian Horner after 20 years, a move driven by the team’s dismal performance in the 2025 constructors’ championship. A Red Bull firing in the midweek.
The decision, announced to staff at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes headquarters, ends Horner’s transformative tenure, which saw the team clinch six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ championships since 2005. The F1 community reeled from the news, with social media erupting as fans and insiders reacted to the bombshell.
Horner, 51, joined Red Bull at its F1 inception, guiding the team from a midfield outfit to a dominant force. Under his leadership, Sebastian Vettel won four consecutive drivers’ titles from 2010 to 2013, and Max Verstappen secured four more from 2021 to 2024.
Red Bull’s constructors’ championships in 2010-2013, 2022, and 2023 cemented Horner’s legacy, but 2025’s collapse, which began at Miami 2024, proved his undoing.
McLaren’s dominance, led by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, has left Red Bull languishing in fourth, 288 points behind the leaders. Verstappen, despite flashes of brilliance, trails Piastri by 69 points, with Red Bull’s RB21 car struggling, notably at the wet British Grand Prix where Verstappen spun to P5.
The firing follows Red Bull’s failure to replace Sergio Perez with a competitive second driver. Yuki Tsunoda, stepping in after Liam Lawson’s brief stint, has underperformed, leaving Verstappen to shoulder the team’s hopes. Compounding the crisis, key departures like designer Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Audi have weakened Red Bull’s foundation. Speculation about Verstappen’s future intensified, with rumors of a 2026 move to Mercedes, where Toto Wolff seeks to pair him with George Russell or Kimi Antonelli. Verstappen’s contract reportedly includes a clause allowing an exit if he falls below fourth in the drivers’ standings by the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Social media buzzed with reactions. One X post called it “the end of an era,” crediting Horner’s role in Red Bull’s success while criticizing his recent decisions. Another suggested Verstappen’s camp, led by his father Jos, pushed for Horner’s exit to secure the driver’s future. As Red Bull faces an uncertain 2026 with new in-house power units, Horner’s departure marks a pivotal moment for the F1 giants.
Did you expect a Red Bull firing this morning? How about that for a wake up call!
Ironically, McLaren and Mercedes F1 fans were even joined by Red Bull diehards in rejoicing the news, for one can compare loyal Red Bull Racing fans in the year 2025 to suffering Atlanta Braves baseball fans.
Oh, to be back in 2021 …
This Red Bull firing is a true stunner!
Horner will no longer be with Verstappen when F1 resumes at the end of the month.
Christian Horner has been sacked at Red Bull. Yes, you really heard that.
