Christian Horner Fired Mid-Season – The Fall of Red Bull’s Empire
- By Dr. AK Rana
Christian Horner is out. After two decades. After building Red Bull Racing from the ground up. After leading them to 8 Constructors’ Championships and multiple driver titles.
…
And no—he didn’t step down.
He was fired.
Yes, the man who once ruled the F1 paddock with an iron fist, who turned energy drinks into championship fuel, did not want to leave at all.
Horner fought tooth and nail to stay.
But the decision was made—fast, clinical, and cold.
Just the way F1 often is.
And yet… here comes the irony.
Just hours after booting him out, F1’s official pages and Red Bull’s own social media were flooded with tributes.
…
“A legend.”
“A visionary leader.”
“Thank you, Christian.”
Wait… what?
So, you fire the man and then celebrate him like a war hero?
…
It’s like calling an employee into HR,
giving him the sack,
and ending with,
“By the way, you were amazing.
We’ll miss you dearly.”
Ha…Ha…Ha…
—
Why Did Red Bull Fire Horner? Let’s Break It Down.
…
1. Post-Newey Chaos
…
Everything started falling apart after Adrian Newey—the mastermind behind Red Bull’s dominant cars—left in 2024.
The team’s performance dipped.
…
The car looked beatable.
For a team so used to crushing rivals, this was unacceptable.
Someone had to take the fall.
Guess who that was?
…
2. The Scandal That Refused to Die
…
There were always whispers of an internal scandal involving Horner and a hospitality team member.
Red Bull kept denying. Christian kept brushing it off. But even smoke becomes poison when it lingers too long.
Eventually, it became a question of corporate image, and the board seems to have had enough.
…
3. Desperate Move to Keep Max Verstappen
…
The real bombshell?
…
Max Verstappen is all set to leave for Mercedes in 2026.
Red Bull knows this.
Everyone knows this.
And in a last-ditch attempt to hold on to their golden boy, they may have tried removing the one person Max (and more importantly, Jos Verstappen) couldn’t get along with—Christian Horner.
Let that sink in.
They fired the man who built Red Bull’s legacy, just to show Max how far they’d go to keep him.
Spoiler: It still might not be enough.
…
4. What Goes Around…
…
Let’s not forget—Horner was never the sentimental type when it came to his drivers.
Daniil Kvyat? Gone.
Pierre Gasly? Dropped mid-season.
Alex Albon? Replaced without warning.
Checo, Liam Lawson and etc.
…
And now?
It’s Horner who gets the boot in the middle of the season.
Call it karma.
Or poetic justice.
Either way, it’s deliciously ironic.
—
Red Bull: From Dynasty to Drama
They’ve now promoted a seasoned team principal from VCARB (formerly AlphaTauri/Toro Rosso).
He knows the system.
But let’s be real: He’s inheriting a team on the brink of sinking
No Newey.
No Max (soon).
No Horner.
The three pillars that made Red Bull unstoppable—gone or going.
What’s left is a shell of a super team, fraying at the edges, trying to hold it together with social media tributes and polite press releases.
…
There’s no redemption arc in sight.
Not unless something radical changes.
And as for Christian Horner?
He walks out the paddock gates, head held high—not because he chose to, but because he has no other choice.
Red Bull called him a legend… after firing him.
What a sport.
What a script.
What a scandal.
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