Jos returns as Red Bull enters new era without Horner
Jul.26 (GMM) With Jos Verstappen back at Spa and Laurent Mekies stepping into his new role, Red Bull is entering a delicate new chapter following Christian Horner’s abrupt dismissal.
While the team has remained mostly silent about the decision to axe Horner after two decades and eight world titles, figures like Stefano Domenicali and Dr Helmut Marko are now speaking publicly—underscoring the magnitude of the shift.
“You can’t be the boss for life,” F1 CEO Domenicali told Corriere della Sera. “He’s made his mark, he’s won a lot. This decision will have sporting and market implications, and will lead to personnel changes.”
Marko confirmed that Red Bull GmbH CEO Oliver Mintzlaff made the decision shortly after the British GP.
“We informed Christian Horner of this on Tuesday in London after the Silverstone race, and at the same time officially thanked him for these 20 years,” Marko said. “This was a result of various factors, but above all, the performance wasn’t quite as good. Fortunately, we then brought Laurent Mekies from the family.
“His responsibilities will be significantly reduced. The main focus will be on racing.”
Rumours persist that Horner’s ousting was connected to friction with Max Verstappen’s camp—particularly around the idea that could have allowed the Dutchman to leave after 2026. But Marko firmly denied that the Verstappens were involved.
“That’s complete nonsense,” he said. “This is a decision made by the parent company’s management, and no one else’s.” He cited Mintzlaff, Chalerm Yoovidhya, and Mark Mateschitz as the key figures behind the move.
According to De Telegraaf, Yoovidhya—long a Horner backer—recently sold 2 percent of his stake in Red Bull, equalising control with the Mateschitz family and ultimately supporting change “to increase the chances of Verstappen staying.”
Verstappen, who met Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in Sardinia earlier this month, offered a diplomatic take on Friday.
“My goal is to stay at Red Bull,” he told Sky Italia. “There’s no need to say a definitive yes now. Things should improve. We hope to get closer to McLaren.”
New boss Mekies acknowledged that his mandate is focused solely on racing.
“I don’t think anyone doubts what Red Bull is here to do in terms of objectives,” he said. “It’s to fight for wins and championships. Does anyone have a contract that guarantees him to stay forever? No. I don’t either. But I think it’s pretty normal in Formula 1.”
Asked how long his tenure would be, Mekies was cautious: “Not sure how much I can share. We didn’t get into the why and the why now, but they outlined the sort of objectives they had for the team moving forward.”
On Verstappen’s long-term future, Mekies said: “In terms of priority, I’m sure what Max wants is a fast car. If we get him a fast car, it cancels out all the other considerations.”
De Telegraaf reported that a large Red Bull Austria delegation is present at Spa, with the sense that the Horner conflict had been simmering since the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
“There was considerable friction with Horner at the center,” the paper wrote. “They felt the Englishman was trying to seize too much power.”
Mekies is said to have backing from both the Austrian board and Verstappen himself. “He’s in good standing with many team members, the Austrian elite, and with Verstappen,” the paper added. “That’s a good starting point. He’ll focus much more on the racing team and less on peripheral matters.”
Still, Marko acknowledged Mekies’ power will be limited at first.
“We’ll give him time,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung. “At the moment, he can only continue with the existing program.”
And while whispers suggest Horner loyalists in Milton Keynes could soon leave, Marko remained tight-lipped: “We don’t know anything about this.”
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