Christian Horner dumped by Red Bull in F1 shocker
A new chapter begins in F1 history with the news this morning that Christian Horner has left his position as CEO and Team Principal of Red Bull Racing.
Horner was fired from his position as CEO and Team Principal of Red Bull Racing after a successful two-decade tenure. The leadership of Red Bull Racing will now fall to Laurent Mekies, who previously ran the team at Racing Bulls. Under Horner's leadership since 2005, Red Bull has evolved into a dominant force, winning six Constructors' Championships and eight Drivers' titles.
Despite the success Christian Horner helped lead at Red Bull, his tenure has been marred by controversy lately. An internal investigation cleared Horner of sexual harassment and coercive behavior allegations in 2024, but the leak of illicit, supposedly texted and imaged material certainly didn't sit well with Red Bull leadership. Red Bull's new engine partner, Ford, expressed its disappointment through two statements regarding the handling of the allegations and the insufficient level of transparency. The organization experienced internal conflicts, which led to the departure of essential staff members, including Adrian Newey.
Advertisement
Related: Max Verstappen and Red Bull in crisis as champion eyes exit
Team's 2-year decline helped hasten Christian Horner's departure
Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
What ultimately led to Christian Horner's departure was the faltering performance of Red Bull on the circuit. The team won 21 out of 22 Grand Prix during 2023, won 9 in 2024 and has achieved only two victories this season. The Constructors' standings now show McLaren in the lead position by a significant margin, indicating that Red Bull Racing faces a major strategic challenge.
In addition to Horner's firing and performance issues, the team is also dealing with the distinct possibility that its top driver, Max Verstappen, could exercise an out clause in his contract after this season. Verstappen has been very public about his disappointment with the car this year and has seen his performance suffer over the past two races. Rumors of a jump to Mercedes have been hot recently, and early this season, so too were talks of the four-time F1 world champion.
Advertisement
Christian Horner being fired is just the first step of many in what looks to be a season of change for the once mighty and proud Red Bull Racing F1 team.
Read More: F1 EARTHQUAKE: Max Verstappen's Red Bull Exit Looms with 'Astronomical' Price Tag as Mercedes Goes All In
Related Headlines
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
This car just set a new world record for the longest electric range – and it's seriously far
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Quick summary A new Guinness World Record has been set for the longest journey travelled by an electric SUV. The car, a Polestar 3, managed a distance of 581.3 miles before running out of charge. If range anxiety is something stopping you from going all electric, a new record set by an EV may help. A Polestar 3 has set the new Guinness World Record for the longest journey travelled by an electric SUV. The Long Range Single Motor Polestar 3 was able to travel 581.3 miles (935.5 kilometres) on a single charge before running out of juice. That equated to 5.13 miles per kWh. This record was achieved by three drivers swapping over as they drove on English A, B and dual carriageway roads with mixed weather and traffic conditions. The car was running on Michelin EV tyres for its 20-inch wheels and was driven by Sam Clarke, Kevin Booker and Richard Parker, and judged by GWR judge Paulina Sapinska. The epic drive went on for over 21 hours during which there was some adverse weather. Booker said, "There was a lot of standing water during part of the day, meaning more resistance from the tyres and lower efficiency." Add in some local traffic, and a stop by the police, and this was certainly worthy of being called a truly real-world driving test. The official range of the Polestar 3 is rated to a WLTP figure of 438 miles – far surpassed in this test. Yet this isn't the officially longest range car, on paper at least. Currently the officially longest range electric car is the Mercedes EQS 450+ AMG which has a range of 481 miles. In close second is the Audi A6 e-tron Performance with 464 miles. Then the Polestar 3 comes in, suitably, at third place. So, whether these other two could beat that range, in a real world test to set a new record, remains to be seen.
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Former F1 Driver Slams Lewis Hamilton's Behavior Toward Ferrari
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher has called out Lewis Hamilton for his behavior toward Ferrari, highlighting that the seven-time world champion criticizes his team extensively, which "doesn't help anyone." Hamilton has been facing a tough challenge at Ferrari since his move in January this year. His bombshell onboarding at Maranello might have been a great marketing exercise, but it likely multiplied people's expectations of him. His sprint race victory in the second round in China added to heightened expectations. However, Hamilton still had the job of adapting to a new car and a new team, which takes time and effort. But the challenges in doing so have resulted in unfavorable sporting results, often leading to frustration on his part. While his teammate, Charles Leclerc, secured five podium finishes thus far, Hamilton has yet to finish in the top three. Hamilton is also attempting to make changes within his team, especially to the way it has been moving forward with the development of the 2026 car. However, tense radio exchanges on Grand Prix weekends with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, have often highlighted the dissatisfaction in his tone. Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari walks in the paddock during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari walks in the paddock during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, 40-year-old driver is facing challenges with his SF-25 F1 car, given the reported lack of rear stability. Among all 14 race weekends thus far, the most recent one in Hungary made headlines, as Hamilton secured P12 in qualifying after getting knocked out in Q2. The result led him to call himself "useless." He even went to the extent of saying Ferrari should change the driver. His statements attracted criticism from many F1 personalities. Unfortunately, finishing the race in the same position the next day didn't improve his morale in any way. Schumacher, who raced for Jordan, Williams, and Toyota from 1997 to 2007, called out Hamilton for being dramatic and for criticizing Ferrari. He told BILD: "I said before the season that this could go wrong. Currently, I see a lot of drama from him. He's been slamming the team, criticizing internally, arguing with the car—that doesn't help anyone." Schumacher boldly stated that Hamilton is either too old to race now or cannot cope anymore, but stressed that he won't leave Ferrari mid-season in case the situation deteriorates further. Admitting that the SF-25 is more suited to Leclerc, the former driver added: "The car suits Leclerc, not him. Maybe he's too old to adapt. Or he just can't cope. "I think the decision for Leclerc was made long ago. But I don't think he'll quit during the season."
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Sardinia Holiday Photos of Max Verstappen With Toto Wolff Go Viral
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Max Verstappen has been reportedly pictured with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, holidaying on the Mercedes chief's yacht off the coast of Sardinia. The images posted by Autosprint on Wednesday have been going viral on social media. As F1 enjoys the summer break, drivers and team principals take time off from the hectic 24-race schedule, staying away from the world of premier class racing. However, Wolff potentially spending the holiday with the four-time world champion has caused a row. The Italian publication posted that Verstappen was a guest on Wolff's yacht. In addition, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was also spotted by fans in Sardinia. The post read: "What do Formula 1 drivers do when they're on vacation? This is a question many ask, and for three of them, we have a definitive and concrete answer. Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing arrives by boat prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2025 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing arrives by boat prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2025 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco."Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen met in Cala di Volpe, Sardinia, on the Austrian's yacht, where the four-time Dutch world champion was a guest. "Max has renewed his commitment to Red Bull for 2026, but it's hard to believe Wolff has given up on his plan to bring the Dutch driver to Mercedes. Just as it's easy to imagine Verstappen is keeping several options open for 2027. "And that Sardinian pier was also frequented by Charles Leclerc: the Ferrari driver appeared relaxed and very willing to take some photos with the fans present. "Even with the engines off, F1 can be very hot... " [Translated by Google] The images appear to be unusually blurry, especially Wolff's face, which is not entirely clear, which gave rise to the suspicion that they could be AI-generated. However, Planet F1 has confirmed that the photos are genuine, stating that the "images are authentic and that Verstappen did visit Wolff's yacht while both men are holidaying in Sardinia." While speculation about Verstappen's potential move to Mercedes died down during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, the holiday photos with Wolff could bring up the topic of his Red Bull exit again. Related: Guenther Steiner Exposes Max Verstappen's Plan for Multi-Year Mercedes Contract George Russell revealed in June that Mercedes was in talks with Verstappen for a future signing. The British driver's contract, which expires at the end of 2025, is yet to be renewed by Mercedes. He revealed ahead of the summer break that he would use the much-needed holiday to rejuvenate, given the recent tensions surrounding his contract extension, for which he has been waiting for 12 months. Russell said: "He [Toto Wolff] has got nothing to be worried about, I've got nothing to be worried about. Nothing is going to happen over the summer because I just want to have a rest and recharge and come back stronger for the second half of the year but there's no time pressure either way. "It will happen when it happens, it's a when not if. I'm 27 now, I've been with the team four years, next year would be my fifth and we want to build the relationship together but it's got to be right and I don't want to rush it. I've been waiting 12 months, I'm not going to just rush it in the course of two weeks so we'll sit down when the time is right."
