Max Verstappen pays tribute to Christian Horner after sacking
9th July 2025Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has paid tribute to the team’s former team principal and CEO, Christian Horner, after he was sacked from the Formula 1 team.
Feature image credit: Getty Images // Red Bull Content Pool
On Wednesday, Red Bull sent ripples through the airwaves as it was announced that Horner was sacked from the team with immediate affect. It was quickly confirmed that the team principal from their sister team, Laurent Mekies, at Racing Bulls, was to be his replacement.
Horner was the longest-serving team principal on the grid having joined the grid at the inception of Red Bull Racing back in 2005.
Of the eight world titles secured under Horner’s leadership, half of them were at the hands of Verstappen, who has taken four drivers’ titles with the team spanning from 2021 to 2024.
The four-time world champion has paid tribute to his now-former boss and has thanked the departed team principal. On Instagram, Verstappen said:
“From my first race win, to four world championships, we have shared incredible successes. Winning memorable races and breaking countless records. Thank you for everything, Christian!”
View this post on Instagram
The shock announcement follows in the wake of Red Bulls struggling form as the Milton Keynes team occupy fourth in the constructors’ championship, 288 points adrift of championship leaders McLaren.
The remains uncertainty around Verstappen’s future with rumours suggesting a potential switch to Mercedes for the upcoming season.
Over 20 years 51-year-old oversaw 405 races, 124 team wins, 107 pole positions, 287 podiums, eight world drivers championships and six constructors titles.
However, Horner is not the only departure on Wednesday. It has been confirmed that Oliver Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer, and Paul Smith, Red Bull’s Group Director of Communications, have also stood down from their roles.
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
