Red Bull Dismisses Christian Horner, Appoints Laurent Mekies as Team Principal

Christian Horner, the long-serving team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing, has been abruptly dismissed after more than 20 years leading the team to unprecedented success, including six Constructors' Championships and eight Drivers' Championships. His departure follows a difficult first half of the 2025 Formula One season marked by underperformance and off-track issues, culminating in Red Bull's fourth-place standing in the constructors' championship, their lowest since 2015. Red Bull also terminated several senior staffers closely associated with Horner, signaling a significant organizational shakeup. Laurent Mekies, currently the principal of Red Bull's sister team Racing Bulls, has been appointed as the new CEO and team principal, with Alan Permane promoted to lead Racing Bulls. Horner expressed deep gratitude and emotion in his farewell statement, reflecting on the team's achievements and the strong bonds formed over two decades, while Red Bull publicly thanked him for his pivotal role in building the team into a dominant force in Formula 1. This leadership change marks a new and uncertain chapter for Red Bull Racing as they seek to rebound from recent setbacks.