Nico Rosberg: Christian Horner Red Bull F1 Sacking "Unthinkable"
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Sky Sports F1 commentator Nico Rosberg addressed Christian Horner leaving Red Bull after the massive shake-up.
Horner got removed from his position after the board at the energy drink company lost confidence in his leadership.
He was embroiled in several controversies as the team leader, including personal scandals. Red Bull became a powerhouse under Horner, but over the past 18 months, it has experienced a downturn in form.
Former Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies has been promoted to the main leadership position at Red Bull, replacing Christian Horner.
Newly appointed Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies (R) speaks for a television next to former German driver Nico Rosberg ahead of the start of the Sprint Race of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix...
Newly appointed Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies (R) speaks for a television next to former German driver Nico Rosberg ahead of the start of the Sprint Race of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa, on July 26, 2025. More
Photo byThe team is moving forward and trying to get a reset, though Rosberg remains shocked at Horner's absence.
"Christian Horner not being here anymore is unthinkable. That's completely unreal," he said on the Sky Sports broadcast.
"It was a big, big shock and surprise to everybody, including himself. He didn't see it coming at all, nor did anybody in the team.
"But of course, it was a long time in the making. Coming on from last year, from all the issues that he'd been having there, so I think this was just a result of that.
"But nobody really still knows 100 percent what exactly happened."
Red Bull sits in fourth among the constructors' standings, more than 200 points behind the leading McLaren team.
The team's lead driver, Max Verstappen, sits in third, but far from title contention, trailing Lando Norris by a little less than 60 points.
Red Bull is on track for a disappointing season, considering its lofty ambitions from the team and its driver.
The driver alongside Verstappen hasn't carried their weight over the last few years, exacerbating the issue within half the team.
Verstappen has clauses in his contract that could trigger a move to another team, leaving Red Bull desperate to change their fortunes.
A combination of the team's struggles, Verstappen's impending exit, and Horner's alleged inappropriate conduct towards a female employee likely all contributed to a drastic in-season decision.
Even after all the success Horner brought, the team's ownership decided that enough was enough.
More news: Emotional Kimi Antonelli Opens Up About Confidence Struggles At Belgian GP
Lewis Hamilton Issues Apology After Rough Belgium GP Weekend
Max Verstappen Issues RB21 Verdict After Red Bull Upgrades at Belgium GP
For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
4 minutes ago
- CNBC
A breakthrough and a burden? What the U.S.-EU trade deal means for the auto sector
U.S. President Donald Trump has hailed the framework trade agreement with the European Union as the biggest trade deal ever made and one that promises to be "great for cars." An agreement brokered on Sunday between the U.S. and the EU means the Trump administration will impose a blanket tariff of 15% on most EU goods. It represents a significant reduction from Trump's threat to impose charges of 30% from Aug. 1 and almost halves the existing tariff rate on Europe's auto sector from 27.5%. Sitting alongside the U.S. president in Scotland on Sunday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the agreement as a "good deal" following tough negotiations. Industry groups and analysts have since welcomed the development, while expressing deep concern about the new tariff reality. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) said Monday it is "fundamentally positive" that the U.S. and EU have managed to secure a deal that averts a transatlantic trade dispute. "The decisive factor now will be how the agreement is structured in concrete terms and how reliable it is," VDA President Hildegard Müller said in a statement. "However, it is also clear that the US tariff of 15 per cent on automotive products will cost German automotive companies billions annually and place a burden on them in the midst of their transformation," Müller said. Alongside a call to ensure automotive supply chains receive the necessary support, the VDA also pushed for the EU to make the framework conditions internationally competitive for investors and companies "in order to become more attractive and relevant as an investment location again." The European Automobile Manufacturers Association, an industry lobby group, said Monday that the U.S.-EU trade agreement represents an important step toward easing "intense uncertainty," welcoming the development in principle. "Nevertheless, the US will retain higher tariffs on automobiles and automotive parts, and this will continue to have a negative impact not just for industry in the EU but also in the US," ACEA Director-General Sigrid de Vries said in a statement. ACEA said it would closely examine the details of the agreement that still need to be clarified. Rico Luman, senior sector economist for transport and logistics at Dutch bank ING, said Monday that the new tariff rate of 15% on cars exported from the EU to the U.S. is clearly much better than 27.5% — but it still reflects "a significant burden" for automakers. "Margins are under pressure in a multi-challenge market and the bill can't be fully passed on to customers without volume losses," Luman told CNBC by email. Second-quarter earnings season showed that carmakers were already struggling with the tariff impact, Luman said, noting there's more to come over the coming months. "The weakened dollar also makes US car imports more expensive and complicate things. That's why global car makers are all looking for ways to adjust manufacturing footprints within current facilities," he added. The Stoxx Europe autos index led gains during early morning deals, up as much as 1.6%, before paring almost all its gains. French car parts supplier Valeo traded 3.9% higher at 10:15 a.m. London time (5:15 a.m. ET), with luxury Italian carmaker Ferrari up around 1%. Germany's BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz Group, however, were all down more than 0.5%. Rella Suskin, equity analyst at Morningstar, said the U.S.-EU trade deal is likely to benefit EU automakers that have a greater reliance on imports from Europe. "We estimate that Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, and Volkswagen, in that order, are the most significant beneficiaries of this trade deal, with a greater share of imports from Europe into the US versus Mexico and/ or Canada," Suskin said. "Stellantis imports a single-digit share of its volumes from the EU for sale in the US, and thus should not see meaningful upside," she added.
Newsweek
4 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Prince William and Charlotte's Father-and-Daughter Moment Goes Viral
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. Prince William and Princess Charlotte sharing a father-daughter moment after the England women's soccer team won the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Final went viral on TikTok. Prince William took Charlotte, 10, to Basel, in Switzerland, to watch the nail-biting match, which England won on penalties on Sunday, having initially gone a goal down in the first half. A video of Princess Charlotte's anxious moments watching the match, and her bonding time with William went viral after it was liked 24,400 times and viewed 188,000 times. Prince William took Princess Charlotte to watch the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Final in Basel, Switzerland, on July 27, 2025. Prince William took Princess Charlotte to watch the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Final in Basel, Switzerland, on July 27, 2025. Kensington Palace and Crystal Pix/Why It Matters William is patron of the Football Association, English soccer's governing body, and has a long history of supporting both the England men's and women's teams. However, he usually takes Prince George rather than Charlotte, who is a regular at the Wimbledon tennis championship. This appears to be the first time William has taken Charlotte and not George to a soccer match, marking a milestone in their relationship. What to Know The TikTok video was posted with the message: "Princess Charlotte cheering on the lionesses tonight for the euro women's finalll 🥺🫶🏻." The clip began by showing some of Charlotte's messages of support in past finals, including in a black-and-white polka dot dress for the 2022 final of the Euro, which England won against Germany. The second clip, in a white stripy t-shirt, is from her message of support ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup Final, which England lost to Spain. The edit then showed a series of photos from the Euro final on Sunday, which showed Charlotte put her head in her hands during a tense moment as well as some bonding moments with William. There are also pictures in the video of Charlotte meeting Princess Leonor, 19, and Infanta Sofia, 18, both of Spain. Elsewhere, Prince William posted a video that also showed him standing with his arm around Charlotte's shoulders as they watched the England team celebrating their win. This was the first time Charlotte traveled overseas to watch soccer and only her second live game, after she previously watched Aston Villa, William's favorite team, play Norwich in 2019. What People Are Saying William and Charlotte posted a joint message on X congratulating the England team: "What a game! @Lionesses, you are the champions of Europe and we couldn't be prouder of the whole team. Enjoy this moment @England. W & Charlotte." King Charles III posted a message of congratulations on X: "For more years than I care to remember, England fans have sung that famous chant 'football's coming home.' "As you return home with the trophy you won at Wembley three years ago, it is a source of great pride that, through sporting skill and awesome teamwork, the Lionesses have made those words ring true. Congratulations to our valiant @Lionesses! 🦁🦁🦁 A message from The King following the team's victory at the Women's Euros 2025.#WEURO2025 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 27, 2025 "Well done, Lionesses. The next task is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can!" Quoted by Reuters, England's captain, Leah Williamson, said after the match: "Total disbelief but at the same time I knew it was going to happen. Playing for this England team is unbelievable. You cannot put us down." One fan replied to the video: "It always surreal to me when royalty meets royalty. It's a humble reminder that we are all in the same world. 🥰." What Happens Next England's Lionesses will take part in a victory parade through central London on Tuesday, finishing with a ceremony outside Buckingham Palace, as reported by the BBC. Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@ We'd love to hear from you.
Newsweek
4 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Piastri Slams Rolling Start After Winning Belgian GP: "I Was Disappointed"
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. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri secured another win at the Belgium Grand Prix, growing his lead in the Drivers' Championship, but he wasn't happy with every aspect of the race. The race got delayed by more than an hour after rain poured down on the track. It eventually got started under a rolling start. Pole-sitter Lando Norris controlled the pack behind him for the first four laps of the race under a safety car, much to the chagrin of Piastri. Considering how poorly the modern Formula 1 cars deal with following behind another car, the lap one developments matter more than ever as the top four fight for the lead at the front. McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri waves after winning the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa, on July 27, 2025. McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri waves after winning the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa, on July 27, 2025. Photo byNorris's control meant Piastri was limited in his ability to attack on the opening lap, leaving the Aussie driver "disappointed." "Once I knew I was close, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed," he said. It was a rolling start because I thought that was going to take away some opportunity, but I got a good exit out of Turn 1, was able to stay close. "When I was that close, I knew I was just going to lift a little bit less than Lando did and try and keep it on the track. "And, yeah, it was a bit lively up over the hill, but, no, I managed to make it stick. "And then from there, the tire helped me out. So, no, proud of my first lap." The title leader showed his overtaking chops on the opening lap. He stayed patient and waited for Norris to have a slide before making the move. Once Piastri got past his teammate, the race became straightforward with clear air in front of the Aussie and set the fastest lap of the race as soon as he got in front. With his sixth win of the season, he leads the Drivers' Championship by 16 points, a solid lead with one more race until the summer break in August. Belgium Grand Prix Results
