Why Red Bull and Christian Horner have parted ways

F1 has been rocked to its core with the news that Christian Horner has been sacked as team principal of Red Bull after 20 years in the role.

From early 2024, it was clear to the outside world that all was not too peaceful behind the scenes at Red Bull.

The change in mood came following a dominant 2023 campaign, but the advantage quickly disappeared last year, and Max Verstappen was put under pressure to emerge victorious in the championship fight.

A significant exit from the team also occurred in 2024 when chief technical designer Adrian Newey departed the squad.

It became increasingly clear that various conversations were going on behind the scenes at Red Bull Racing. Horner strengthened the contracts of many people, including technical director Pierre Waché, but that did not immediately result in an improvement on the track.

McLaren caught and passed Red Bull, and now holds a distinct advantage over the rest of the competition. Verstappen has also appeared to become more despondent with every race this year.

The Dutchman has made no secret of the fact that he is surprised the team has descended so far, so quickly, in such a short period. Verstappen is also worried about the car and engine for 2026.

No surprise, then, that Mercedes' team boss Toto Wolff has sought to take advantage of the doubts with a public pursuit of Verstappen's signature.

The rumours linking Verstappen to Mercedes have intensified in recent weeks, with Verstappen failing to commit his future to the team amid the speculation.

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These are all factors that made Red Bull's owners understand they had to do something. 

Various scenarios were discussed between the Thai and Austrian owners, including the idea of ensuring Horner would have less power within the team.

Red Bull is 51% owned by Chalerm Yoovidhya, founder of the energy drinks brand, with the remaining 49% in the hands of the Mateschitz family following the death of the team's founder, Dietrich, in October 2022.

Horner, however, would not have agreed to such a plan. Instead, it is understood that he made clear he did not feel there was any need for changes within the team, and certainly not regarding his position.

It is now clear his opinion was strongly opposed by the Thai and Austrian owners, leaving them with no other option but to part ways. 

It is undoubtedly an extreme decision, but after all that has happened in recent years, it is also a logical consequence. 

Horner should be given credit for the substantial achievements of Red Bull, and he remains one of the most successful F1 team bosses of all time. 

But in F1, what matters most is the here and now, and in the last 18 months, it has become increasingly apparent that Horner did not want to make the changes necessary to improve on-track performance.

Given the scale of exits from Red Bull in recent years, including Newey, Rob Marshall, Jonathan Wheatley and Will Courtenay, the expectation was that Red Bull would replace them with attractive or big names of its own. It did not happen.

At top teams, it is often the experienced people in crucial positions who make the difference. 

The only change in that theory is that more and more drivers are often ready to perform in F1 at a younger age. 

Yet for engineers, designers and others, that seems to be a different story. In that scenario, experience makes all the difference. Wheatley, for example, with all his knowledge and experience at Red Bull, appears to be making an immediate impact at Sauber.

With a lack of big-name hires as well as the performance progressively worsening at Red Bull, the owners saw no other option but to part with their long-time team principal.