McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown says Formula 1 will move on from the Red Bull decision to fire Christian Horner, although the 53-year-old says the sacking of his old adversary is a “shame”.
The sport was stunned into silence following the 2025 British Grand Prix when news broke that Horner had been let go from his post as team principal and CEO amid chatter of Max Verstappen potentially joining Mercedes.
Good results have been hard to come by since the 2024 Emilia Romagna GP and the team has been embroiled in off-track drama such as the Brit’s alleged sexual misconduct scandal and a supposed power struggle behind closed doors.
And it seems as though the ownership at Red Bull GmbH had finally decided to make a change by promoting Racing Bulls’ Laurent Mekies into the role ahead of the 2025 Belgian GP at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
The decision ended the two-decade run of Horner in charge; a run that yielded six constructors and eight drivers’ championships since 2010, and Brown suggests the whilst sacking is saddening, that Formula 1 will move on.
“Competition makes you stronger,” Brown told Sky Sports F1. “So from that sense, they keep you on your toes.
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“I think Laurent is very good. The sport moves on quickly, so it probably won’t be something that we’re talking about come Monday.
“It’s a great racing team, so we’ve got to pay attention. Even the worst team in F1 right now is really good, so I think all this competition makes you better.
“He had fantastic results. It’s a shame to kind of go out the way he did.”
Red Bull complete first race after Christian Horner sacking
Indeed, the sport does continue moving forwards and Red Bull have completed their first race without the 51-year-old at the helm following his July 9 exit, although he remains an employee as they negotiate a severance package.
Verstappen managed to win the Sprint Race ahead of Oscar Piastri before he went on to qualify fourth and come home in the same position on July 27, whilst Yuki Tsunoda had an encouraging weekend by qualifying seventh – although he was shuffled back down to 13th.
The result sees Red Bull close up on Mercedes in the constructors’ championship, albeit marginally as the gap falls from 38 points to 28 points with nine rounds to go in the ongoing campaign.
Verstappen’s Sprint Race victory and fourth place sees him move to 28 points ahead of George Russell in the drivers’ standings, although he is now 65 points behind Lando Norris and 81 points behind Piastri and is poised to surrender his status as world champion.
