Horner was removed as team principal of Red Bull after this year’s British Grand Prix, ending a run that began in 2005.
By then, Max Verstappen had already slipped out of the title race after four straight championships, and there were growing issues on the other side of the garage as well.
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Yuki Tsunoda was sitting in 18th place following his mid-season switch with Liam Lawson. The problems weren’t just about performance either; Red Bull had also struggled to attract new talent over Horner’s final two years in charge.
Laurent Mekies has since taken over and faces several key decisions. One early positive is that Verstappen has committed to staying for at least another season, giving Mekies some stability as he works through these changes.
Red Bull’s hiring struggles during Horner’s final years
Journalist Ronald Vording spoke about Red Bull’s current situation on the James Allen on F1 Podcast, pointing out that the team’s infrastructure remains a concern, something Horner himself had previously acknowledged.
He added: “So, infrastructure is one bit because Mekies said, I really believe we are still, even after people leaving, but still we have a lot of talent in this team. We just need to give them all the best tools that they need, and they don’t have that at the moment. That’s the truth.
“And the second part is, of course, assessing the team and seeing where do we need to strengthen the team.”
“They said at Red Bull,” Vording continued. “The current situation is also with all the noise they had in the last two years with the Horner thing and everything else.
“And they said it wasn’t just about people leaving – it was also about people who didn’t want to join because of all the chaos going on.
“These first couple of months are just about assessing what needs to be done but also creating peace and calmness; an environment that people want to work in.”
Christian Horner’s final years in charge saw Red Bull fail to attract top talent
Red Bull have seen a number of high-profile staff departures recently, which would be a concern for any team principal.
Among the most notable exits are Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall. While the team have recruited several engineers from rival teams to bolster their Powertrains division, attracting top-level talent has proven more difficult.
Pierre Wache is under pressure as he tries to fill Newey’s role and provide both drivers with a more manageable car.
Tsunoda was furious with his strategy in Belgium and Hungary, and those are issues that arose far less often when Wheatley was in the team.
Mekies may not hold as much influence as Horner did, with figures like Helmut Marko expected to play a larger role now.
It remains to be seen whether this shift in power will benefit the team. While Red Bull have historically promoted from within, bringing in fresh perspectives from outside might be what they need at this point.
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