Martin Brundle Offers Real Reason Behind Horner's Red Bull Axe
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
During the Belgian Grand Prix, Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle gave his final verdict on the departure of Christian Horner from Red Bull.
Horner was axed after serving in the team principal role for several years.
He served for more than 20 years as the leading figure at Red Bull, but ultimately reached the end of his tenure with the team.
Red Bull decided to do so after struggling over the last year and a half, both on and off the track.
Power struggles plagued the team over the past year and eventually brought them undone.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing speaks with Team Principal Christian Horner and Sky Sports presenter Martin Brundle inside the Red Bull hospitality suite during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand...
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing speaks with Team Principal Christian Horner and Sky Sports presenter Martin Brundle inside the Red Bull hospitality suite during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 15, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. More
Photo byIt has been days since the move occurred, but the exact reason for the decision remains unclear.
In an attempt to summarize the situation, Brundle offered his take on what had happened, which led to such a successful team removing their leader. He suggested the split came down to a power struggle over Red Bull's commercial control:
"It was about the management in Austria wanting to take back the commercial side of it," Brundle said on the Sky broadcast.
"Christian didn't want to let that go because he felt in the round that drivers, cost cap, sponsors, the employment of people was all one big story that he wanted to keep hold of. So they have made that decision.
"Presumably, Max could have, if he had wanted to, stop it from happening. He either chose not to or couldn't. I'm going to assume he chose not to stop Christian being let go. But they are where they find themselves today.
"They have an expression 'it's all about the can' and they felt that they want to do something with Red Bull going forward. Maybe it was a bit too much about Christian and not enough about Red Bull, I'll wait to see what they say about that."
Horner oversaw a run of championships with Red Bull, giving Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen title-winning cars and well-oiled support.
Verstappen is the reigning four-time champion, and although he will relinquish that mantle this season, Horner built the team around the Dutch driver.
He was given complete support from Horner's team.
However, their relationship had grown sour over the last few years, as Verstappen felt his thoughts on the car were disregarded and Horner became embroiled in a massive scandal.
The British team principal leaves a legacy of success and controversy, but the results bear out that he is one of the best Formula 1 leaders in history.
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.
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