2025 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[De Wet]

So Jos the Boss got his wish...

[organic]

[mwillems]

None of which is a surprise, RB has been a team facing crisis point for some time with Horner very much at the centre of their decline. He was given an opportunity to turn it around and it didn't work.

Hopefully they can sort themselves out now, I really like Mekies and hope he does a great job at RB. I wonder how many folks we'll see come across from the sister team to help with the 26 car.

Time will tell, but perhaps there is some concern about the 26 car also.

[trinidefender]

I'd hazard a guess that Max signed a contract with another team and the heads above Horner saw this as their star driver losing faith in the team. After all the other technical resignations that was the straw that broke the camels back so out the door Horner goes.

[Redragon]

Makes no sense. You don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

There was an obvious power struggle between the Verstappen camp and Horner. If anything this solidifies Max's position.

Well let's see nobody knows for certain. I feel Verstapen had signed a new deal during the weekend, in my opinion with another team.

RBR aren't shy about letting the cat out the bag. If Max had gone, they'd have announced it already. They're not going to protect someone on their way out the door by keeping things quiet.

I understand your view. You don’t meed to convince me. I believe Verstapen after the race in Britain signed a contract with a new team or at least an agreement of intention.

[dren]

So, all of the above.

[mwillems]

I'd hazard a guess that Max signed a contract with another team and the heads above Horner saw this as their star driver losing faith in the team. After all the other technical resignations that was the straw that broke the camels back so out the door Horner goes.

It could be. I see the Mercedes interest and the clause as potential leverage for Max to shape the team the way he wants and still remain an undisputed star at RB, I don't think we'll see him leave now, but you never know.

[chrisc90]

Hard to say what happens

If the highers at RBR seen Max was going to leave, then seems odd to fire the man who built the team to what it achieved over 20 years.

Since the passing of Dietrich the team seems to have took a downward spiral the last 2 years. Many many key figures leaving for whatever reason, car not performing at all and Max has made things look better than they were last year and a half.

Could be that Horner has clauses in contract that he has to retain Max, Can’t see it but could be.

Shame. I liked Christian, outside of whatever secretary-gate shenanigans. Built the team to be massively successful, just recent years it seems to have been caught out.

Maybe there was some RBPT clauses in there that needed to be met and Horner didn’t meet them.

Probably one thing we will never know the real reasons why he parted company

[Seanspeed]

I'd hazard a guess that Max signed a contract with another team and the heads above Horner saw this as their star driver losing faith in the team. After all the other technical resignations that was the straw that broke the camels back so out the door Horner goes.

It could be. I see the Mercedes interest and the clause as potential leverage for Max to shape the team the way he wants and still remain an undisputed star at RB, I don't think we'll see him leave now, but you never know.

There isn't a team on this grid where Max wouldn't be the star driver.

[pantherxxx]

There was practically a smear campaign against Horner, where they did a character assassination on him, and I imagine that disrupted the team unity. Despite being cleared of all the wrongdoing, obviously many people working in the team could not necessarily trust Horner after that. Poor Horner was a victim of this campaign. But it was probably the right decision for Red Bull. If Mekies is more trusted by the staff, then yes. Because this is a team sport, and it's team unity that counts.

[Seanspeed]

Hard to say what happens

If the highers at RBR seen Max was going to leave, then seems odd to fire the man who built the team to what it achieved over 20 years.

Since the passing of Dietrich the team seems to have took a downward spiral the last 2 years. Many many key figures leaving for whatever reason, car not performing at all and Max has made things look better than they were last year and a half.

Could be that Horner has clauses in contract that he has to retain Max, Can’t see it but could be.

Shame. I liked Christian, outside of whatever secretary-gate shenanigans. Built the team to be massively successful, just recent years it seems to have been caught out.

Maybe there was some RBPT clauses in there that needed to be met and Horner didn’t meet them.

Probably one thing we will never know the real reasons why he parted company

It's reasonable to give Horner some credit for building up the team into what it became back in the mid to late 2000's. But if things have fallen apart so incredibly quickly under his leadership after a couple obvious key figures left, was Horner really ever a significant factor in their success since? Maybe it was those other key figures who actually mattered?

[Seanspeed]

There was practically a smear campaign against Horner, where they did a character assassination on him, and I imagine that disrupted the team unity. Despite being cleared of all the wrongdoing, obviously many people working in the team could not necessarily trust Horner after that. Poor Horner was a victim of this campaign. But it was probably the right decision for Red Bull. If Mekies is more trusted by the staff, then yes. Because this is a team sport, and it's team unity that counts.

Horner was only ever 'cleared' by Red Bull's own internal investigation. In no world does that actually prove his innocence, come on now. A legal case is still ongoing, one that is being kept hush. And may result in a settlement, which is also not proof of innocence. Often far from it.

[pantherxxx]

Hard to say what happens

If the highers at RBR seen Max was going to leave, then seems odd to fire the man who built the team to what it achieved over 20 years.

Since the passing of Dietrich the team seems to have took a downward spiral the last 2 years. Many many key figures leaving for whatever reason, car not performing at all and Max has made things look better than they were last year and a half.

Could be that Horner has clauses in contract that he has to retain Max, Can’t see it but could be.

Shame. I liked Christian, outside of whatever secretary-gate shenanigans. Built the team to be massively successful, just recent years it seems to have been caught out.

Maybe there was some RBPT clauses in there that needed to be met and Horner didn’t meet them.

Probably one thing we will never know the real reasons why he parted company

It's reasonable to give Horner some credit for building up the team into what it became back in the mid to late 2000's. But if things have fallen apart so incredibly quickly under his leadership after a couple obvious key figures left, was Horner really ever a significant factor in their success since? Maybe it was those other key figures who actually mattered?

Every dominant team will eventually face this problem. You cannot keep the same key figures forever.

[Sevach]

I don't understand why people think this means Max is staying, this is all more reason to leave, replacing Horner on top of the other big names they've lost this year means that it's going to be harder than ever to create the best car/team and culture. These are massive shoes to fill and the new guys can't be expected to perform miracles, Mekies doesn't even look like a long term solution, perhaps just holding position until they find someone better.

Jos was calling for his head last year, but i can't see how this is anything but a disaster.

Do Max/Jos that the team will magically go back to the top now that Horner is gone? Does Jos thinks he will run the team? Does Max trusts his dad as "undercover team principal"?

The obvious decision is to leave the sinking ship.

[mwillems]

I'd hazard a guess that Max signed a contract with another team and the heads above Horner saw this as their star driver losing faith in the team. After all the other technical resignations that was the straw that broke the camels back so out the door Horner goes.

It could be. I see the Mercedes interest and the clause as potential leverage for Max to shape the team the way he wants and still remain an undisputed star at RB, I don't think we'll see him leave now, but you never know.

There isn't a team on this grid where Max wouldn't be the star driver.

Not next to Toto who'd run the team his way and Max would be expected to follow. Max IS Red Bull.