Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, led his team from rags to riches in the past decade to assert unwavering dominance in the sport of F1. His leadership role was instrumental in RB’s dominant 2023 season where they won 22 of the 23 races weekend.
However, not even in their wildest dreams, Red Bull Racing imagined to lose the hard earned dominance within just one season. McLaren’s meteoric rise has threatened the drink-based outfit’s lead in both the championships and with the steep decline, perhaps it is time for the ownership to get rid of the kingpin and seek a fresh start.
Christian Horner’s Leadership Is Doing More Harm Than Any Good To Red Bull
Ever since Christian Horner was accused of sexual harassment by a female employee, Red Bull Racing witnessed an unprecedented divide as political instability spoiled the working environment. The ripple effects were seen in Adrian Newey’s abrupt exit, as he was partly unhappy with how Horner’s case was handled. Jonathan Wheatley followed next to switch to Audi for a big promotion. On top of that, McLaren covered the gap and used the instability to put extra pressure on RBR. Now, with 9 races left on the calendar, the Bulls are at risk of losing not only the constructor’s championship but also the driver’s title. That being said, accountability is still missing, and perhaps it’s time for the drink company owners to part ways with Christian Horner.
There’s no denying the fact that Christian Horner’s belief and leadership were instrumental in Red Bull’s success. However, the same leadership is now hindering the team’s progress. Max Verstappen has seemingly lost faith in Horner, as his feedback on the car’s shortcomings has not been duly addressed. Moreover, Helmut Marko, along with many other senior officials, is also against the retention of Horner in the team principal role as it is contributing to the hostile environment within Milton Keynes. While the entire blame for Red Bull’s downfall cannot be pinned on Horner alone, he is definitely the key behind the instability that forced key engineers’ departure. Most importantly, leadership changes are not uncommon in F1. Often, team principals are the ones to bear the brunt of failures, be it Guenther Steiner, Mattia Binotto or Otmar Szafnauer. Hence, Horner’s axing should be the writing on the wall.
Jos Verstappen Calls Out Red Bull’s Serious Situation
Meanwhile, after Max Verstappen fell 22 seconds behind Lando Norris in Dutch Grand Prix, his dad Jos Verstappen launched an all out attack on Red Bull, especially team principal Christian Horner. Jos called the situation serious and added that Max was dissatisfied with the car.
“The team took the wrong turn several times. Good people are leaving the team. I’m very unhappy with what’s happening,” Jos said. Not only that, but Jos Verstappen also raised doubt about Christian Horner’s leadership in turning things around from rock bottom. He urged Red Bull to take a good look in the mirror and pull up the socks, as it’s not too late already.
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