While the timing caught many off guard, Red Bull’s announcement after the British Grand Prix that Horner had been sacked with immediate effect sent shockwaves through the paddock. Horner had led Red Bull Racing since its debut in 2005, overseeing seven Drivers’ Championships and six Constructors’ titles. Jos Verstappen — father of Max Verstappen — publicly warned the team would “explode” if Horner remained in charge.
Zak Brown Drops Seven-Word Warning After Christian Horner’s Shock Exit originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown didn’t hold back when asked about Christian Horner’s shock departure from Red Bull — saying the end result didn’t surprise him at all.
While the timing caught many off guard, Red Bull’s announcement after the British Grand Prix that Horner had been sacked with immediate effect sent shockwaves through the paddock. Horner had led Red Bull Racing since its debut in 2005, overseeing seven Drivers’ Championships and six Constructors’ titles. But a year-and-a-half of controversy finally caught up.
Horner had twice been cleared internally after allegations from a female employee, but tensions within the team only grew. Jos Verstappen — father of Max Verstappen — publicly warned the team would “explode” if Horner remained in charge. Despite backing from Red Bull’s Thai ownership, the team’s performance slipped. After 12 races in 2025, Red Bull sits a distant fourth in the Constructors’ standings.
So when TSN asked Brown if he was shocked, his answer was blunt.
“Maybe the timing, but not the result,” Brown said. “There’s been a lot of drama there the last couple of years and it doesn’t seem like that drama has been calming down, maybe even been getting worse. So, I’m not surprised.”
Horner has already been linked to other teams, including Alpine and Ferrari — though he previously denied interest. Brown thinks the former Red Bull boss won’t be gone from motorsport for long.
“I’d be surprised if he didn’t show up somewhere in motor racing,” he said. “But I don’t know his other interests — maybe he wants to run a football team. We’ll see.”
The leadership vacuum at Red Bull has now been filled by Laurent Mekies, who faces the enormous task of steadying a team in turmoil — and convincing Max Verstappen to stay.
Speculation has swirled for months that Verstappen could activate an exit clause in his contract, reportedly tied to his standing in the championship. While he’s currently 46 points clear of fifth-place Charles Leclerc, any dip in form could reopen Mercedes discussions.
For now, McLaren leads the way — 288 points ahead of Red Bull — with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris sitting one-two in the Drivers’ standings. But as Brown noted, Verstappen’s still close enough to be dangerous.
“They’ve got Max still knocking on the door,” he said. “So we’ve got to pay attention to that.”
Related: Max Verstappen Pays Emotional Tribute to Christian Horner After Red Bull Sacking
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
