Christian Horner’s power struggle at Red Bull might not stop anytime soon
Jonathan Wheatley's move to Audi shows that Christian Horner has not stopped his efforts to consolidate power at Red Bull.
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Christian Horner and Max Verstappen (Via: Imago)
Christian Horner made headlines at the start of 2024 for all the wrong reasons. The Red Bull team boss was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female employee. Although, Horner was cleared of any misconduct, this incident skyrocketed tensions with Milton Keynes. It seems that the Briton has continued to solidify his power since then.
After Horner was investigated by Red Bull GmbH, Max Verstappen‘s father Jos Verstappen publicly attacked the 50-year-old. While aero genius Adrian Newey is believed to have decided to leave the team due to the entire drama surrounding the Red Bull team boss. In the last couple of months, things seemed to have calmed down.
However, tensions have resurfaced following Jonathon Wheatley‘s move to Audi. As Red Bull lose yet another key figure from his team, it seems that Christian Horner’s power struggle is going to continue for the foreseeable future.
Christian Horner seemingly unbothered by losing key personnel
Adrian Newey is undoubtedly one of the main architects behind Red Bull’s success in Formula 1. Unfortunately, the aero genius decided to exit the team after nearly two decades. Christian Horner publicly thanked Newey for his services. However, Milton Keynes essentially used the 65-year-old as a PR tool at the Red Bull garage following his announcement.
Jonathan Wheatley was rumored to be the man who replaces Horner if he was found guilty in the investigation. The 57-year-old had ambitions of leading a squad as team principal. As such Wheatley took the opportunity at Audi. However, in response, Horner stated that he could use Jonathan Wheatley’s high salary for better use after his exit. A rather peculiar comment considering the success the two have achieved together.
While Dr. Helmut Marko has continued his tenure at Red Bull as the Motorsport Consultant, the 81-year-old no longer has the same influence on the team. Christian Horner is building the entire team around him, which could start to affect on-track performances. Moreover, Max Verstappen could end up being enticed to join Mercedes if such tensions continue in the coming weeks.
It is clear that Christian Horner has made bold moves over establishing control within Red Bull. However, things could backfire on the entire team if it fails to take measures to address shortcomings. As such, fans would be hoping that Milton Keynes does not fall behind rivals in the coming weeks.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2310 Articles Published)