F1 Insider Declares Christian Horner’s Exit Not ‘Good News’ for Red Bull

F1 veteran journalist Joe Saward made it clear that Christian Horner's exit will not help Red Bull.

F1 Insider Declares Christian Horner’s Exit Not ‘Good News’ for Red Bull

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen (via Total Motorsport)

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Christian Horner‘s sudden exit from Red Bull Racing is one of the biggest talking points in the F1 paddock. The Briton was at the helm of the Austrian team for two decades, one of the longest in the sport’s history. While Milton Keynes prepares to kickstart a new era without the 51-year-old, F1 insider Joe Saward believes that things will not be easy going forward for the energy drinks giant.

Horner was made team principal of Red Bull Racing during their debut F1 season in 2005. At the age of 25, he became the youngest team boss in history. Since then, Christian Horner managed to establish the energy drinks giant as a dominant force in Formula 1 with a grand total of fourteen championships. He was also pivotal in bringing out the best of drivers like Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel.

The 51-year-old shaped the team in his vision for 20 years and everything seems to have worked. Though, the past eighteen months have been nothing short of a disaster.

Nevertheless, Joe Saward insisted that Christian Horner’s departure will not bring anything good for the team. He reckoned that Red Bull Racing had become nothing more than Horner Racing in the past few years. The Briton had taken essentially all big decisions needed to bring Milton Keynes where it is today. While the energy drinks giant simply made sure that the requirements were funded to make everything possible. Saward claimed that this immense control Horner enjoyed was one of the reasons for his sacking.

I fear that the removal of Horner will not be good news for the team. Red Bull Racing is in many respects Horner Racing. He built it and made it successful. Red Bull paid for it. This in part is one of the reasons for the change. 

Joe Saward wrote on his Green Notebook

Red Bull will ‘regret’ sacking Christian Horner

Milton Keynes faced a power struggle after the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz. The new bosses in Austria were unhappy to see Christian Horner’s immense influence within the team. After a long-drawn battle for power within the team, it was the parent company that managed to oust the 51-year-old. His exit could allow Red Bull to start from scratch with Laurent Mekies taking the reigns.

Christian Horner, Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko (via Red Bull)
Christian Horner, Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko (via Red Bull)

Joe Saward made it clear that the higher ups at Red Bull’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH will end up regretting their decision in the long-term. So much so, that he speculated how Dietrich Mateschitz would’ve felt if he was to see what his successors have done to Milton Keynes after his demise. This is a rather brutal jibe at the energy drinks giant’s management team. Though, Saward would be proved right if the Austrian team struggles even more without having Christian Horner at the helm.

I think that those who pushed Horner out will soon regret it and one can only wonder what Mateschitz would have thought of the antics of his successors.

Joe Saward added

Certainly, Christian Horner was not a failed team boss in any regard. Despite the current state of Red Bull, he managed to do the unthinkable in the past two decades where he created a formidable F1 team. The team has indeed taken a big gamble by showing the door to the 51-year-old. This could pay off in the long run if Laurent Mekies manages to turn things around. However, it appears that at least for the time being, Milton Keynes might face some more instability.

Read More: Ex-F1 Driver Convinced Max Verstappen Will Leave Red Bull as Milton Keynes ‘Falls Apart’