I wish him a wonderful next journey.
(one)
Horner has been sacked by Red Bull Racing after 20 years.
Considering that he still had five years left on his Red Bull contract, the media was in a state of panic after hearing the news. The dismissal announcement was made on a normal working day, with no reason given.
On July 6, 2025, local time, in Northampton, England, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner stood in the starting area before the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit. Visual China Photo
Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, thanked Horner for his outstanding work over the past two decades. "With his commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, Christian Horner has played a key role in building Red Bull Racing into one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula One. Thank you for everything, Christian, you will always be an important part of our team's history."
People never reveal the real reason behind firing someone. But perhaps, deep down, Horner understood. Reports circulated that Horner had unilaterally broken the team's engine deal with Porsche. Other rumors suggested Horner was attempting to gain control of the Red Bull team by joining forces with Thai Red Bull (which owns 51%) and British investors.
Red Bull's struggles were merely the final straw for Horner. He had lost key supporters early on. Following the death of Matt Sr. (Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz) in 2022, management of Red Bull fell to his son, Mark. Upon taking over, Mark established a three-person board, of which Mintzlaff was one. He was given full responsibility for all Red Bull sporting affairs, including the F1 team.
Horner's sense of crisis must have arisen at this point. While Mateschitz was still alive, he had always reported directly to the elder Mateschitz. Mintzlaff's emergence made Horner realize that he was no longer needed.
Even though he was one of the heroes who led the Red Bull team from nothing to the top.
(two)
In 1997, at the age of 24, Horner partnered with his father to establish Arden, an F3000 team named after his birthplace. Initially, Horner served as both team owner and driver. Ever since his youthful fascination with Mansell, Horner had unwaveringly embarked on a career as a racing driver. Becoming an F1 driver was, for a time, Horner's sole life goal.
It wasn't until a certain moment in his life—in 1998, during pre-season testing at Portugal's Estoril Circuit—that Horner suddenly realized he wasn't cut out for it. His car wasn't slow, but it was much slower than he'd expected through the corners. Horner later explained in an interview that the faster he drove, the more he feared injury. "There's a kind of self-protection mechanism between my feet and my brain," he said. Consequently, Horner couldn't take corners at full speed, without hesitation, like a true racing driver.
After taking off his helmet, Horner resigned as a driver without hesitation and turned his attention to running the team. At that time, Horner did not know that he was about to become the youngest team leader in F1 history, and the person who extended the olive branch to him was Mateschitz.
(three)
In the 1980s, Mateschitz co-founded Red Bull with Thai beverage tycoon Koh Shu Piow. This beverage, deeply associated with extreme sports, long held a 70% market share in the energy drink market. In 2004, Mateschitz secured a seat in Formula One by acquiring Ford's Jaguar Racing team. Following the acquisition, he renamed the team Red Bull. In short, in the world of Formula One, Red Bull was a latecomer.
On June 23, 2011, local time, in Valencia, Spain, Christian Horner, the head of the British Red Bull Formula One team, stood in the team's maintenance garage. (Visual China Photo)
It stands out from the other F1 teams in the paddock. While Ferrari and McLaren are incredibly orthodox, Red Bull is unique. In his book "Wings of the Sky," British journalist Ben Hunt writes that access to McLaren's motorhome typically requires 15 different passes. But a single paddock club pass grants unrestricted access to Red Bull's powerhouse, a three-story glass structure. Twenty years ago, this glass structure was considered "alien."
Back then, Red Bull was known as a "party team." Every Thursday night, neon lights would shimmer through the windows, burning all night long. This was known as "Crazy Thursday." In an era where the podium was dominated by Ferrari and McLaren, Red Bull felt like an outlier, charging into the unforgiving world of Formula One.
People enjoyed it, but also silently bet that the billionaire would lose patience and walk away before the season was over. Perhaps it was because Red Bull's frivolous approach overshadowed the team's talent and ambition. Red Bull not only survived its first season, but also surpassed Jaguar's annual points total the previous year.
Over the past two decades, under Horner's leadership, Red Bull has achieved results beyond all expectations, winning eight drivers' championships and six constructors' championships. In particular, in the 2023 season, Red Bull dominated the paddock with 21 podium finishes in 22 races. They were virtually unbeatable, leaving even Ferrari and McLaren far behind.
(Four)
Horner attributes the team's success to a simple, unvarnished principle: talent first. This was the most valuable lesson Horner learned while managing Arden, a mantra he adheres to to this day. In Horner's view, the difference between the 450-man Red Bull Racing team and the 25-man Arden team is simply the number of people. A team leader's job is to bring together talented individuals and give them the space to fully demonstrate their talents. However, these seemingly simple principles are rarely achieved.
Newey, whom Horner hired from McLaren for a large sum of money, and Verstappen, who was once unpopular, laid the foundation for Red Bull's subsequent success. To this day, they remain rare talents in the paddock.
(five)
Twenty years later, as Horner stood in the Red Bull factory for the last time, reflecting on his achievements with the team, he choked up and thanked those present. Horner's final two years at Red Bull were not easy. Ever since the scandal broke, the team had been plagued by drama. This season, the team's performance had also declined significantly. Newey's departure and Verstappen's transfer rumors had further clouded Red Bull's future.
Despite this, everyone present gave him the warmest applause and cheers. That was something Horner had longed for but never got when he first came to Red Bull 20 years ago.
On June 4, 2023, local time, in Montmelo, Spain, Red Bull Racing director Christian Horner (center right) and Red Bull Racing Dutch driver Max Verstappen (center left) took a photo with their teammates after participating in the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya. Visual China Photo
(six)
Horner was replaced by a Frenchman named Majkis, who exuded a mad scientist vibe that complemented his mechanical engineering background.
With a master's degree in automotive engineering from Loughborough University, Mekkis is a world away from Horner, who never attended university. However, in recent years, a new breed of technically minded team leaders like Mekkis has emerged in the paddock, including Haas's Komatsu, McLaren's Stella, and Aston Martin's Cowell. "All they talk about is data! Data! Data..." Horner says of them.
Horner, Mercedes' Toto, and Ferrari's Vasseur belong to a different kind of team leader, described as "maverick." Horner is more of a dreamer. He invites those standing at a crossroads, hesitating, promising them wealth and freedom, inviting them to use their talents to build a car capable of conquering the world.
Although Toto always said that Horner "acted like a jerk most of the time", the reality is that it is difficult to survive in this highly political sport without living like a jerk. Even so, Horner still failed.
In twenty years, the empire will eventually decline and an era will end.
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