Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull Racing followed an 18-month stretch marked by several key staff departures and growing internal pressures.
There’s been plenty of talk about why Horner left, with some early speculation linking it to Max Verstappen, though the Dutchman’s camp has since dismissed those claims.
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Another explanation that emerged was the possibility of a performance clause in Horner’s contract, tied to progress on the new Red Bull Powertrains engine ahead of the 2026 regulations.
Early data on the project wasn’t promising, and with Verstappen’s future at Red Bull also up in the air, Horner found himself in a position that had become increasingly difficult to navigate.
Jonathan Wheatley’s Red Bull exit announcement didn’t go down well with Audi
Jonathan Wheatley’s departure from Red Bull, where he had spent 18 years — eight as sporting director — was confirmed in August 2024, shortly after the Belgian Grand Prix.
During an appearance on the Chequered Flag podcast, Andrew Benson discussed the series of staff departures at Red Bull and touched on why both Jonathan Wheatley and Audi were unhappy with how Horner handled his exit.
“He left for McLaren, joining them at the beginning of ’24. Then Adrian Newey left. Since then, we’ve seen Jonathan Wheatley leave.
“Let’s not forget that when Wheatley signed for Audi, although it’s called Sauber at the moment, Horner was the guy who announced that for them, which Audi and Wheatley were both very upset about.”
Benson added: “I think that there are so many things behind this [Horner] sacking. I mean just think about what happened in Abu Dhabi last year. Verstappen won his fourth title by two points over Lando Norris who won 11 races to Verstappen’s eight.
Christian Horner’s announcement of Jonathan Wheatley’s exit from Red Bull ‘upset’ Audi
Jonathan Wheatley’s departure from Red Bull, after 18 years with the team and eight as sporting director, was announced in August 2024 just days after the Belgian Grand Prix.
Andrew Benson brought up staff changes on the Chequered Flag podcast, noting a big reason why Jonathan Wheatley and Audi weren’t happy with how Christian Horner shared the news.
“There has been this big turnover of staff,” the journalist began. “Starting with Rob Marshall, who was very influential for a long time as Adrian Newey’s number two.
“He left for McLaren, joining them at the beginning of ’24. Then Adrian Newey left. Since then, we’ve seen Jonathan Wheatley leave.
“Let’s not forget that when Wheatley signed for Audi, although it’s called Sauber at the moment, Horner was the guy who announced that for them, which Audi and Wheatley were both very upset about.”
With key personnel walking out and others unhappy behind the scenes, it’s no surprise that Red Bull’s form has taken a hit on track. The team may still have Verstappen for now, but it’s clear that the environment around him has changed.
The departures have left gaps in Red Bull that Christian Horner couldn’t fill
The loss of several senior figures hit Red Bull hard. They haven’t looked like quite themselves since those exits started piling up.
Since Adrian Newey walked away from his role as Chief Technical Officer after 18 years with Red Bull ahead of their home race in Austria last season, things haven’t been quite right on or off track for Christian Horner’s side.
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