Red Bull Racing Sacks Team Boss Horner With Immediate Effect
Horner has held the role for some 20 years – the Briton leading Red Bull through their first F1 season back in 2005 and playing a key role in turning them from points scorers into World Champions.
'Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today (Wednesday 9 July 2025) and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing,' said a Red Bull spokesperson.
'Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO Corporate Projects and Investments thanked Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years.'
'We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,' added Mintzlaff.
'With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.
'Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.'
As part of the managerial reshuffle, current Racing Bulls Racing Director Alan Permane will be promoted to Team Principal at the sister outfit.
'The last year and a half has been an absolute privilege to lead the team with Peter [Bayer, Racing Bulls CEO],' commented Mekies.
'It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people. The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning.
'Alan is the perfect man to take over now and continue our path. He knows the team inside out and has always been an important pillar of our early successes.'
Permane added: 'I feel very honoured to take on the role as Team Principal and would like to thank Oliver and Helmut [Marko, Red Bull advisor] for the trust they have shown in me.
'I am looking forward to working with Peter to continue the good work that both him and Laurent have done in taking this team forward.
'This is a new challenge for me, but I know that I can count on the support of everyone within them.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Piastri Beats Norris in Rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri passed McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris with a bold early move to win the rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix and extend his Formula One lead to 16 points on Sunday. Charles Leclerc was a distant third for Ferrari as reigning champions McLaren celebrated their sixth one-two finish in 13 races and the third in a row. The race at Spa-Francorchamps was red-flagged after an initial formation lap and delayed by an hour and 20 minutes due to the weather, with standing water and heavy spray affecting visibility. Piastri was not in a mood for hanging around when the racing got going with a rolling start after four laps behind the safety car. The Australian charged through the spray to slipstream Norris through the daunting Eau Rouge and scythed past on the uphill straight. 'I knew lap one would be my best chance of winning the race. I got a good exit out of Turn One, lifted as little as I dared out of Eau Rouge,' he said. 'The rest of the race we managed really well. I struggled at the end. Maybe the mediums were not the best for the last five or six laps. We had it mostly under control.' If Norris had a battery issue, the Briton asking over the radio why he had 'no pack' before his race engineer assured him it was coming back, he was not looking for any excuses afterwards. 'Oscar just did a good job. Nothing more to say. Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge, and had the slipstream and got the run,' he said. 'So nothing to complain of. He did a better job in the beginning, and that was it. Nothing more I could do after that point. I would love to be up top, but Oscar deserved it today.' Piastri pitted on lap 12 of 44 to switch from intermediates to medium tyres and Norris followed a lap later, but opting for hards, before both then went to the chequered flag on a one-stop strategy. Piastri crossed the line 3.415 seconds clear of Norris, who had been chasing a third win in a row and managed to reduce the gap in the final laps with putting the ever-calm Australian under too much pressure. Reigning champion and Saturday sprint winner Max Verstappen finished fourth, in Red Bull's first grand prix since the dismissal of team boss Christian Horner, with George Russell fifth for Mercedes. Williams' Alex Albon held off Ferrari's seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton to secure sixth. Liam Lawson was eighth for Racing Bulls with Gabriel Bortoleto ninth for Sauber and Pierre Gasly securing the final point for Alpine. Also read: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025: Post Malone to Perform at Etihad Park for 17th Edition
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Daily Tribune
McLaren lock out front row : Belgian Grand Prix
AFP | Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium Lando Norris resisted mounting pressure from his McLaren team-mate and series leader Oscar Piastri yesterday to take pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Briton, whose mother Cisca is Belgian, shrugged aside concerns over his struggles on Friday to clock a best lap in one minute and 40.562 seconds, beating Australian Piastri by 0.085 seconds as McLaren reeled off a convincing front row lock-out. It was his fourth pole this year and the 13th of his career. Charles Leclerc qualified third with a late improved lap enabling him to overhaul defending world champion Max Verstappen's best effort for Red Bull. Alex Albon was fifth for Williams ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull, Racing Bulls' rookies Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson, and Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton failed to make it out of the Q1 session for Ferrari and will start Sunday's 44-lap race from 16th on the grid in the company of Mercedes' mercurial rookie Kimi Antonelli, who was 18th, and two-time champion Fernando Alonso 19th for Aston Martin. After victories in Austria and Britain, Norris will be seeking a third consecutive win to overhaul Piastri's nine-point lead in the title race. "It was a decent lap and I'm happy," said Norris. "Everyone was a bit worried after yesterday, but I wasn't that far off. There were just a few little issues we had. I was confident that I could get back to the top." Piastri, who had been faster than Norris in Friday's action, said: "It's a bit disappointing. The second lap was coming together well and then I made a mistake into turn 14 and I lost a lot of time. The car was very good again, but it's about fine margins." Leclerc said he was surprised by his time.
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Lando Norris claims pole for Belgian Grand Prix
Lando Norris will start on pole for the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday with his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri alongside him on the front row. Charles Leclerc's Ferrari is on the second row next to Max Verstappen's Red Bull after qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday. Norris has won the last two races and goes into Sunday's Grand Prix nine points behind Piastri in the drivers' standings. "I was confident coming in to today so it's nice to be on pole," said Norris after his 13th career pole. This was McLaren's 68th front row lock-out.
