this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2025

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149

Christian Horner: Red Bull F1 team principal sacked after 20 years in charge of Milton Keynes outfit (www.skysports.com)

submitted 8 months ago by blackn1ght@feddit.uk to c/formula1@lemmy.world

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[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 33 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Looks like speculation's back on the menu, boys!

Due to...

more legal challenges incoming?
worse performance for the past year?
an attempt to halt the brain drain from Red Bull?
Max wanted him out, and they're now complying what with Merc courting him so hard?
Red Bull lost Max to Merc, and Red Bull high ups are unhappy with Horner over it?
their engines for next season aren't looking good?
a combination of factors above?

Tbh I don't think it'd be down to performance alone. Red Bull has had down periods multiple times in the past 20 years.

[–] Munkisquisher@lemmy.nz 15 points 8 months ago

When they've been down it was before Mateschitz passed. What he said was the law and he had the people he wanted in the positions he wanted. After that there were many factions fighting and trying to make the others look bad. Cue Horniers txt messages, Max's team threatening to leave, Marko looking like he'd be fired, and Newey leaving for money when he didn't get his way. The smart technical folks saw the infighting and jumped ship to teams where they could step up in their career

[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago

Waiting for Red Bull to released a statement via an attachment named File-76.JPG.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 30 points 8 months ago (2 children)

This is a surprising development. The usual path for being pushed out of RB is to be name the 2nd seat driver for the team before being sacked.

[–] ninth_plane@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

If Mekies doesn't perform as well as he has been in RB, they should make Tsunoda CEO for a few races to get a comparison.

[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Red Bull gives you wings, right out the door…

[–] MadMonkey@lemmy.world 29 points 8 months ago (4 children)

First guess is sexual assault allegations have been proofed?

[–] Nighed@feddit.uk 18 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Or that the owners are fed up with the car being bad, and scared max might leave and they would be the worst team on the grid.

[–] Munkisquisher@lemmy.nz 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yeah the owners were happy to look past it while they were getting results

[–] skozzii@lemmy.ca 0 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Yup, that was the final straw for me, and watching F1 in general. Its already a sport that has literally the worst people in the world involved from human rights and environmental standpoints, and then even the western part of the sport doesn't have any integrity.

What ever happened to honorable men...

[–] Aedis@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago

Is FIFA a joke to you? Lol

[–] Munkisquisher@lemmy.nz 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

There's been very few in F1. There has however been a long history of lying, cheating, spying, poaching, backstabbing, money laundering, insider trading, influence peddling, drug running, fake sponsors, fake princes, tobacco money, oil money, dictator money, Russian oligarch money and money that was never there in the first place and left a string of debts.

[–] Damage@feddit.it 2 points 7 months ago

To be fair, with so much money orbiting around it, it's a wonder it's not MORE corrupt

[–] Microw@piefed.zip 6 points 8 months ago

They would have probably given him a reason if he was sacked for team performance.

Fired immediately without reason given sounds like something major.

[–] krimson@lemmy.world 14 points 8 months ago

I think Red Bull knew the allegations were true all this time but now with the teams shitty performance they probably felt like it was a good time to give him the boot.

[–] Vinstaal0@feddit.nl 4 points 8 months ago

No proof has been found that he was guilty, according to the court records. So unless new proof shows up from somewhere, this most likely isn't the case. It could be that RBR was keeping some proof away from the court case, which could be illegal, but that they now display it.

Personally, I am a bit careful with the accusations, since it wouldn't be the first time that somebody lied to get somebody else convicted for something. Women are always believed in cases like this, even when they lie about them abusing their male partner or whatever.

[–] frank@sopuli.xyz 2 points 8 months ago

Or that first set was the tip of the iceberg and they're getting ahead of it?

Baseless speculation

[–] Damage@feddit.it 23 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I foresee Red Bull getting worse

[–] 50MYT@lemmy.world 11 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Watch him show up at Aston with his mate newey

[–] DV8@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago

Can't really find a source anymore. But wasn't part of the explanation for Newry leaving that he was good friends with Horner's former assistant? Though I guess this could have been unsubstantiated rumours.

[–] Goodeye8@piefed.social 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I don't really see it. AM isn't in a good spot and it's very unlikely they'll suddenly become a top team next year. Newey can do his magic but it's not going to fix the rest of the team.

Max isn't going to waste his time in some midfield team, he's going to a top team or he's taking a sabbatical.

[–] TomSelleck@tucson.social 4 points 8 months ago

Supposedly Ferrari kicked the tires on Horner earlier this year. Rumors say they might let Fred go.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Newey was reportedly pissed off about the whole sexual harassment thing.

[–] Coelacanth@feddit.nu 19 points 8 months ago (1 children)

What the fuck.

[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Exactly my reaction. I know things were a bit turbulent last year, but I wasn't expecting this right now!

[–] Coelacanth@feddit.nu 11 points 8 months ago (2 children)

After collecting my thoughts I'm thinking this tells us Red Bull are seriously worried about Max leaving and are trying to take desperate measures. It could be related to the sexual assault allegations but the timing seems off with that and I'm pretty sure they knew they were true all along.

[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 8 points 8 months ago

Yeah it's more likely to be in relation to keeping Max. The team is toast without him, they'll very likely be a backmarker with their current car.

[–] frank@sopuli.xyz 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

If it has anything to do with sexual assault allegations it's because they're either worse than we thought and they're getting ahead of it, or because they can't spin whatever is gonna come up with it

[–] Naryn@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Or they've already ignored it but the performance of RB has been awful

[–] frank@sopuli.xyz 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Maybe Max said "him or me"

[–] slartibartfast@feddit.uk 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

This was rumoured/hinted at in Austria if I'm not daydreaming? Was it van Haren that tweeted it?

[–] Microw@piefed.zip 2 points 8 months ago

You wouldn't fire a team principal effective immediately without giving a reason IMO. Maybe this is Red Bull operating differently from your regular F1 team and it's really just because performance and Max. But to me it sounds like something bigger – either related to the allegations or Horner did something that lost him the owners trust.

[–] Nighed@feddit.uk 17 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

BBC link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/cn5k6y1xyl3o

Autosport: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/christian-horner-sacked-as-red-bull-f1-team-boss/10740708/

The Race: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/our-verdict-christian-horner-red-bull-f1-exit-shock/

[–] cyrano@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 8 months ago

Good timeline in case you need the background: https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/christian-horner-allegations-messages-red-bull-timeline-b2785446.html

[–] bwoah@lemmy.world 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I think there are only two possibilities:

he lost Max
they did this to keep Max

Either way, this increases the chances that Max is going to Mercedes

[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago

Or the relationship between Helmut Marko and him have reached the inevitable boiling point. It is either Marko out or Horner. And Max is loyal to Marko not Horner or Red Bull. If they lose Marko they will automatically lose Max as well.

[–] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 11 points 8 months ago

Well damn, didn't think I'd see the day especially mid season. Guessing this will be initially bad for red bull, but longer term probably the right call.

[–] BlackEco@lemmy.blackeco.com 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

According to a quote from Sky Sports, Horner is still employed by Red Bull, I guess he's been put on gardening leave?

Yesterday, I was informed by Red Bull that operationally I would no longer be involved with the business or the team moving forward.

I will still remain employed by the company, but, operationally the baton will be handed over.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/13394618/christian-horner-former-red-bull-team-principal-says-sacking-came-as-a-shock-in-tearful-farewell-speech

[–] Microw@piefed.zip 1 points 7 months ago

Yeah they probably can't terminate his contract immediately without some legal trouble or huge payout. So he'll be on their payroll for a while longer but not involved anymore.

[–] FrostyTrichs@crazypeople.online 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Wow. I wondered if a team principal change was on the cards for the future but a mid season sacking wasn't on my radar. Makes me wonder- is he the first domino to fall in a Red Bull Racing makeover?

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 1 points 8 months ago

I think that was last year when they lost Newey!

[–] engene@lemmy.ca 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Perhaps the rumors of him leading the Ferrari team is true 🤔

[–] Munkisquisher@lemmy.nz 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Bwahaha, I'd hear the wailing in Italy from here in New Zealand

[–] engene@lemmy.ca 3 points 8 months ago

When all is said and done, Christian will be managing Hamilton while Toto will be managing Verstappen 😆