Christian Horner was told he had three years to turn Red Bull around before being fired weeks later
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull in 2025 caught everyone by surprise, not least the man himself, who was still in the early stages of trying to turn things around. Horner had been with Red Bull since their entry into Formula 1 in 2005, overseeing eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships. But by 2025, the team was facing real issues.
Tensions among key personnel – which included Adrian Newey’s departure – and a decline in performance led to Horner’s dismissal following the British Grand Prix. He was later given a settlement reported to be between £52m and £80m when he officially parted ways with the team in September. Laurent Mekies stepped in as his replacement and has since taken over as Red Bull prepares for a new era of building and supplying their own engines from 2026.
“I’d already spoken with Oliver Mintzlaff before he left about it, we spoke at Silverstone after qualifying. And after that meeting I still felt like I would be staying,” Horner said on Beyond The Grid. Chalerm Yoovidhya gave Christian Horner ‘three years’ to rebuild Red Bull Horner’s most influential supporter at Red Bull , Chalerm Yoovidhya, also lost patience as the team’s performances dropped and tensions behind the scenes grew.
According to journalist Matt Majiende on The Race F1 Podcast , Yoovidhya and Horner met in 2025 to outline a recovery plan. Horner was told he had three years to turn things around but was sacked just weeks later. Reflecting on the 2026 car, Majiende said: “I think on the other side, the sort of chassis side, obviously there’s been problems with the car.
Maybe we saw Miami things turning around, but that that’s not been as successful. But from the powertrain side, [it] was a promising start. “But there was definitely a nervousness.