Who Are The F1 Team Principals For Each Team In 2025?
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 21: Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur and Mercedes GP Executive ... More Director Toto Wolff attend the Team Principals Press Conference during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 21, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by) Getty Images
Team principals are the backbone of their Formula 1 teams, orchestrating day-to-day operations that drive success on and off the track.
Their core job is to oversee everything that goes on including managing drivers, engineers, and other team members both at the track and back at the office.
Team bosses also serve as the public face of their respective teams, dealing with the media during race weekends and throughout the whole season. They carry the weight of their team's performance on their shoulders, and in case things go south, they face the tough task of explaining what went wrong and working to steer things back on track.
Some, like Christian Horner and Toto Wolff, also act as the CEOs of their teams in addition to their roles as team principals. Forbes F1 2025 Calendar: Full Race Schedule And Sprint Venues By Yara Elshebiny Forbes F1 2025 Grid: Confirmed Driver Lineups For All 10 Teams By Yara Elshebiny
Here's a rundown of who's at the helm of each of the 10 teams. Red Bull: Christian Horner In The Role Since 2005
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 3: Christian Horner of Great Britain and Oracle Red Bull Racing during ... More practice and qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 3, 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Vince Mignott/) Getty Images
Horner has been steering the ship at Red Bull since the team made its F1 debut in 2005, making him the longest-serving team principal on the grid at the moment.
He began his motorsport journey as a racing driver but soon found his calling in management after founding the Arden team in junior formulae. Red Bull then brought him on board in 2005 as the team boss when the energy drink giants took over the former Jaguar F1 team.
After bringing in F1 design genius Adrian Newey, the Milton Keynes squad enjoyed two runs of consecutive drivers' championships, with Sebastian Vettel dominating from 2010 to 2013 and also helping the team clinch every constructors' title during that period.
Then we entered Max Verstappen's dominant era, during which he claimed each drivers' title from 2021 to 2024 along with constructors' championships in 2022 and 2023.
So far, Red Bull has bagged 14 titles with Horner at the helm. Forbes Bernie Ecclestone Sells His $646 Million F1 Car Collection To Red Bull Heir By Yara Elshebiny Mercedes: Toto Wolff In The Role Since 2013
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 02: Mercedes GP Executive Director Toto Wolff talks on the phone in the ... More Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 02, 2024 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by) Getty Images
Just like Horner, Wolff started his journey as a racer, having competed in various motorsport disciplines before switching to the business side of the sport.
After investing in the Williams F1 team and taking on the role of executive director in 2012, he made the move to Mercedes a year later and became a managing partner in 2013.
The Austrian then enjoyed a dominant run with the Silver Arrows, leading the team to back-to-back constructors' and drivers' championships from 2014 to 2020, with one additional constructors' title added to their cabinet in 2021.
Wolff holds a 33% stake in the team and currently serves as both CEO and team principal. Ferrari: Fred Vasseur In The Role Since 2023
Frederic Vasseur before qualifying ahead of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles ... More Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada on June 17, 2023. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images
Vasseur stepped into the role of team principal at the Scuderia ahead of the 2023 season, taking over from Mattia Binotto who departed at the end of 2022.
The Frenchman previously served as team boss at Renault in 2016 before switching to Alfa Romeo and taking a similar position from 2017 to 2022.
Earlier in his career, Vasseur managed his own team in the junior formulae, having co-founded the ART Grand Prix outfit with Nicolas Todt. McLaren: Andrea Stella In The Role Since December 2022
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 07: McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella looks on from the pitwall during ... More practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 07, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by) Getty Images
Stella took over as McLaren's team principal in December 2022, stepping in for Andreas Seidl. Fast forward a year, and the Italian had already guided the Woking outfit to their first constructors' title since 1998 after pipping Ferrari in the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Prior to his promotion, Stella worked with racing legends like Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, and Fernando Alonso at Ferrari before joining the latter at McLaren in 2015 where he took on the role of performance director and executive director, racing. Aston Martin: Andy Cowell In The Role Since 2025
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 18: Andy Cowell, Group CEO at Aston Martin F1 Team talks to the media ... More during a press conference prior to F1 75 Live at InterContinental London O2 on February 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) Formula 1 via Getty Images
Aston Martin appointed Cowell as team principal ahead of the 2025 season, taking over from Mike Krack. He previously served as F1 engine chief at Mercedes from 2013, during which time the team clinched every title from 2014 to 2019.
After leaving the Silver Arrows in mid-2020, Cowell joined Aston Martin in July 2024 as group CEO and has now stepped up to also take on the responsibilities of team boss this year. Alpine: Flavio Briatore In The Role Since May 2025
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 25: Flavio Briatore walks in the Paddock prior to final practice ahead of ... More the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 25, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by) Getty Images
A new development in the never-ending saga of Alpine/Renault team principals has emerged, with the French outfit announcing the surprising departure of their most recent boss, Oliver Oakes.
Oakes, who became the fourth Alpine boss in less than four years and made history as the youngest team principal in F1 when he succeeded Bruno Famin in the summer of 2024, has decided to step down effective immediately in May 2025.
The move is believed to be linked to the team's decision to swap Jack Doohan for Franco Colapinto, which was executed in less than a day after the Briton's resignation.
With that, Flavio Briatore has returned to Team Enstone for a third stint as team principal. The Italian, who made a comeback to the F1 paddock as an executive advisor for Alpine in June 2024, was previously banned for life in 2009 due to his role in the infamous 'Crashgate' scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. Forbes Felipe Massa's Case Against FIA, FOM, Bernie Ecclestone Heads To Hearing—What To Know By Yara Elshebiny Haas: Ayao Komatsu In The Role Since 2024
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 21: Haas F1 Team Principal Ayao Komatsu looks on in the Pitlane ... More during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 21, 2024 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Clive Rose - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) Formula 1 via Getty Images
Komatsu began his F1 career in 2003 with BAR (now Mercedes) and then transitioned to Renault/Lotus where he served as race engineer for Vitaly Petrov and Romain Grosjean before being promoted to chief race engineer.
The Japanese followed Grosjean to Haas in 2016 and served as the trackside engineering chief - a role he held at the American outfit until he became team principal after Guenther Steiner's contract was not renewed for 2024. Forbes Haas' Laura Mueller Becomes First Female Race Engineer In F1 History By Yara Elshebiny Racing Bulls: Laurent Mekies In The Role Since 2024
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 13: Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls walks ... More in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 13, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by) Getty Images
Mekies stepped into the role of team principal at Racing Bulls in 2024 after the long-serving Franz Tost departed.
The Frenchman started his F1 career as a race engineer at Minardi before becoming chief engineer when the team morphed into Toro Rosso.
He then transitioned to the FIA and served as safety director and deputy race director before joining Ferrari - first as sporting director from 2018 to 2020 and later as racing director from 2021 to 2023. Williams: James Vowles In The Role Since 2023
MONTREAL, CANADA - JUNE 7: James Vowles, Team Principal of Williams walks in the paddock during ... More practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 7, 2024 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by) Getty Images
Vowles took the reins as team principal at Williams in 2023, making a move from Mercedes where he had made quite a name for himself.
His journey in F1 started back in 2001 with the BAR team, and he has climbed the ranks through the team's transformations into Honda, Brawn GP, and finally Mercedes.
The Briton was the chief strategist at Brawn GP when the underdog team pulled off shocking constructors' and drivers' championships in 2009. He then enjoyed further success with Mercedes during their stretch of consecutive championships from 2014 to 2021, having earned a promotion to motorsport strategy director in 2019. Forbes Brawn GP's 2009 Championship-Winning F1 Car Sold For $3.8 Million At Miami Grand Prix By Yara Elshebiny Kick Sauber: Jonathan Wheatley In The Role Since April 2025
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - APRIL 10: Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber looks on ... More in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on April 10, 2025 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by) Getty Images
Wheatley officially took the reins as Sauber's team principal in April 2025 after spending some time on gardening leave following his departure from Red Bull, where he served as the sporting director.
The Briton spent over a decade with the Benetton/Renault team from 1991 to 2005, climbing the ranks to become chief mechanic. In 2006, he made the switch to Red Bull and has witnessed the team's dominant run over the years.
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