Red Bull boss on Christian Horner’s sacking: “This is part of being a professional organisation, you can’t keep relying on history”

Christian Horner’s departure remains one of the biggest talking points of the recent Formula 1 season. Despite Red Bull’s declining performance in the first half of the year, Max Verstappen came agonisingly close to winning the championship, finishing just two points behind title winner Lando Norris.

Months after Horner’s exit, Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has spoken openly about what led to the decision to remove him as team principal, describing it as a necessary shake-up after Horner’s highly successful two-decade tenure.

Red Bull boss addresses Christian Horner’s exit

Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull GmbH’s chief executive responsible for corporate projects and investments, told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that Horner’s removal was about the need to “turn the page and start a new chapter.”Mintzlaff said, “I wouldn’t call it a risk, because we were 100 per cent behind this measure. We knew we had to do something. I’m not a so-called hire-and-fire manager, someone who fires people just like that. Christian has a great track record with the team and has achieved a lot of success. Everyone here in the company, myself included, appreciates him for what he has done.”

He added, “But this is also part of being a professional organisation.

You can’t keep relying on history, and we felt it was time to turn the page and start a new chapter. It wasn’t an easy decision, but we didn’t rush into it either.”

Christian Horner’s tenure at Red Bull

Christian Horner’s departure was also believed to be linked to sexual misconduct allegations made by a team employee, although he was cleared twice. While the details of the case were never made public, the situation significantly damaged the former Red Bull team principal’s reputation.Horner spent nearly 20 years at Red Bull, during which the team won six Constructors’ Championships and eight Drivers’ Championships. Verstappen claimed four world titles under his leadership.Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies was promoted to replace Horner at Red Bull. Notably, the team showed signs of improved performance afterward, with Verstappen ultimately finishing as runner-up in the championship, the closest challenger in the title race.Also read: “The night I'd waited for my whole life.”: Lando Norris shares GRWM moments from FIA Awards