Red Bull staff told to smile more as Christian Horner's exit papers over the cracks

Telegraph

26-07-2025

Formula One is famous for making lots of noise, but the silence at Red Bull on Friday was frankly deafening. After the day of the long knives a fortnight ago – comprising the bombshell dismissal of team principal Christian Horner after 20 years and 405 consecutive races in charge, along with a couple of his senior lieutenants – this was the first real opportunity for those responsible to explain their reasoning.
Oliver Mintzlaff, the former RB Leipzig chief executive who now runs the Red Bull GmBH division responsible for Formula 1, was present in the Spa paddock, along with a few of his sidekicks, including Ahmet Mercan, the global head of motorsports corporate projects. Helmut Marko, the octogenarian motorsport advisor who oversees Red Bull's junior talent programme, was also present and correct.
These were the men who fired Horner in a London meeting on July 8, and who then waited in the Racing Bulls factory the following day while Horner tearfully addressed staff.
No reason was given for Horner's sacking in the brief statement that followed from Red Bull Racing. Horner was not given one in person either. The Telegraph has been told that Marko was of the opinion that it had become 'more Christian Horner Racing than Red Bull Racing'.
But in the statement put out, Mintzlaff merely thanked the 51-year-old for his 'tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking', adding that Horner would 'forever remain an important part of our team history'.
Cameras and notepads were therefore poised when Marko and Mintzlaff arrived in Belgium. But in the end neither man said anything. Mintzlaff apparently came close to talking a few times, but decided against it. Marko, who usually cannot resist a microphone, merely smiled and declined to speak to journalists who hovered.
In that respect, the Austrian was at least following the advice he gave to Red Bull staff in a spectacularly ill-judged address the day after Horner's dismissal, when he told the stunned workforce to 'smile more' and 'work 10 per cent harder'. 'It was really awkward,' said one person who was there, adding that Marko 'completely failed to read the room'.
Sources within the team suggest morale on the factory floor in those first few days after the announcement was at rock bottom. Horner has his enemies within the paddock. And despite being cleared by two internal inquiries in last year's sexting scandal, he was clearly not blameless in that affair. But he also remained immensely popular within the factory. He gave most of the people at Red Bull their jobs, growing the team from 300 to well over 1000. He signed off on their bonuses, their annual leave. He created the culture which led to 124 F1 wins and 14 titles.
Senior figures were clearly blind-sided, too. The likes of chief engineer Paul Monaghan, technical director Pierre Wache and Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero 'GP' Lambiase, recently promoted to head of racing, all stood by Horner last year. Lambiase will miss this weekend's race in Spa, as he did Austria last month, although it is understood to be for personal reasons.
The Telegraph has also been told that multiple team sponsors – all of whom were brought in by Horner, or by his chief marketing officer Olly Hughes, were also shocked and upset at the manner of Horner's departure. None was consulted. It remains to be seen whether any of them says so publicly.
'Christian has been supportive,' says replacement
The shock has subsided to a degree. That is understandable. If nothing else, Formula One teams adapt and move forward.
The new man Laurent Mekies appears to be well-liked and is doing his best. The Frenchman made a good impression in his first FIA press conference yesterday. He was open and smiling (Marko will be happy), saying how the whole thing had been a complete surprise to him, how honoured he was to lead Red Bull, how generous Horner had been about his appointment.
'He was the first one to text, he was the first one to call,' said the 48-year-old, who was brought in by Horner and was even at the Englishman's charity clay pigeon shoot the week before replacing him. 'I think again this morning or yesterday, we texted each other. He has been nothing else than supportive, which is very impressive in the context.'
But asked by the Telegraph Sport whether he had been given any reason for his predecessor's departure, Mekies admitted that he had not. 'The short answer is no, they haven't. We didn't get into the why and the why now. But they outlined the objectives they had for the team moving forward.'
There may well be legal reasons for their silence. Horner's lawyers are currently negotiating a settlement that could be worth anywhere between £50m and £100m. But as long as it remains, it will be filled with speculation.
Were the Verstappens behind Horner's sacking? Marko did say one thing on the record on Friday, to De Telegraaf, dismissing speculation that the Verstappens were in any way involved as 'complete nonsense'. But they must have been a factor, directly or indirectly.
Were the shareholders terrified of Verstappen leaving? Intriguingly, the Telegraph understands Thai majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya visited Verstappen in Monaco on the afternoon Horner was fired.
Were they jealous of Horner's power and influence? The communications consultant who Marko has parachuted in for the next four races did tell the Telegraph on Thursday, when asked for the reason for his dismissal, that 'the can is the star, not the man'.
Were they worried by declining performance? By the endless off-track controversy? In one possible slip of the tongue on Friday, Mekies did admit there was a desire 'to reduce the noise outside, just to concentrate on racing'.
It was probably a combination of all of the above. But until someone senior at Red Bull Austria actually speaks, the speculation will continue. In the meantime, a bedraggled team soldier on, rivals no doubt circling like vultures on LinkedIn.
Red Bull should be good in Spa this weekend, but will they decline as a force in the long run? Or can they rebuild for a third era of success? Wolff joked in the paddock on Friday that he would 'miss' his old sparring partner. 'He was one of the main casts [characters],' he noted. 'His track record speaks for itself.' Will Mekies be given that same autonomy to run the team how he sees fit? Will his power be diluted by Austria? There are a lot of questions still to be answered.