The future of Red Bull Racing is a hot talking point after the team dropped a huge bombshell on Wednesday, July 9, announcing that team boss Christian Horner had been sacked.
Horner led Red Bull from day one in 2005 and took the team to six constructors’ world titles and eight drivers’ world titles with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
But the team’s had a difficult 12 months, starting with a scandal surrounding Horner at the start of 2024 to the team’s loss of competitiveness and loss of personnel.
Now, with Horner gone and Max Verstappen considering leaving, what’s next for a team that just two years ago won 22 out of 23 races?
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Why has Horner been sacked from Red Bull?
No official reason has been given for the sacking of Christian Horner by Red Bull.
The most likely cause is due to the team’s lack of competitiveness, as they slumped from their dominant position of 2023.
McLaren has usurped Red Bull since Miami 2024, and only Verstappen’s brilliance saw him secure his fourth title last year.
After 20 years with the Team, Christian Horner departs Oracle Red Bull Racing as Team Principal and CEO.
We thank him for his tireless and exceptional work. He has been instrumental in building this Team into one of the most successful in F1, with eight Drivers’ Championships… pic.twitter.com/9SyqjSBvEG
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) July 9, 2025
This year’s RB21 is a troublesome car, with Verstappen winning only two races and sitting 69 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Red Bull has also lost design star Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber, soon to be Audi.
The power struggle within Red Bull early in 2024 and Horner’s scandal likely also played a part.
Whatever the main reason, Horner’s reign at the top of Red Bull is over.
What is the future of Red Bull Racing and driver Max Verstappen
Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies has taken over the main role at Red Bull Racing.
Alan Permane has stepped into Mekies’ shoes as team principal of Racing Bulls.
It remains, however, incredibly unclear as to what happens next.
Verstappen is openly being courted by Mercedes and could replace George Russell in the team in 2026.
Speculation suggests Christian Horner’s departure could be due to Verstappen’s uncertain future at Red Bull.
Should its star driver go, Red Bull could end up in a world of misery.
Red Bull has a serious driver problem
The RB21 is a capricious car, and second driver Yuki Tsunoda is struggling to get on top of it.
The team swapped Liam Lawson for Tsunoda after just two races in 2025 and sacked Sergio Perez in 2024.
Without Verstappen’s brilliance, the Red Bull team would be stuck firmly in the midfield.
If Verstappen does leave Red Bull, it’s unclear who the team would pick to replace him.
Could Russell jump into the RB22 in 2026?
Might Isack Hadjar be promoted alongside Tsunoda?
What we do know, though, is that the next few months are perhaps the most important in the whole history of the team.
And if it does lose Verstappen, the future of Red Bull Racing could become very messy indeed.
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