Red Bull driver thought Christian Horner sacking 'was a joke'

Red Bull development driver Jake Dennis thought Christian Horner's sacking from the team "was a joke" after it was flagged up to him by a friend.

Dennis, the 2022-23 season Formula E champion, has been on Red Bull's books since 2018 after being handed his current role by Horner.

The 30-year-old has been a key figure in helping Max Verstappen become a four-time F1 champion and Red Bull clinch the constructors' title in 2022 and 2023.

Ahead of this weekend's penultimate round of the Formula E season in Berlin, speaking to RacingNews365 and asked whether Horner's exit had come as a surprise, Dennis replied: "Yes, completely. It was a definite surprise.

"I didn't find out until my mate sent it to me on WhatsApp. I thought it was a joke. I went online and saw it was all over there [the internet], so yeah, a surprise.

"I've been so busy with BMW and Andretti this year that I haven't done any sim work since October, so I've been really out of the loop with Red Bull this year, so I was always going to be surprised, even if everyone else knew."

Declaring Horner's exit "a shame", Dennis added: "He's done so much for the sport and so much for Red Bull. I guess time didn't work for him, and they had to go their separate ways."

Dennis, who has struggled this season in Formula E, notably in the last two rounds in Shanghai and Jakarta, believes Red Bull will feel the effect of Horner's departure despite swiftly appointing the experienced Laurent Mekies as his replacement.

Suggested to Dennis that it would be difficult for Red Bull to imagine life without Horner, he said: "I guess so for now. It's a shock. He's been there for two decades.

"There is going to be a transition phase, for sure. But the replacement they've got from Racing Bulls, he's very experienced, very good.

"He's got some big shoes to fill, but I think he'll do a good job."