Pink Bull has fired long-time CEO and staff principal Christian Horner with instant impact.
Horner has been in cost at Pink Bull for the previous 20 years, ever because it entered the game as a brand new constructor again in 2005. Nonetheless, a Pink Bull spokesperson confirmed to RACER that “Pink Bull has launched Christian Horner from his operational duties with impact from in the present day (Wednesday, July 9, 2025).”
Pink Bull has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Pink Bull Racing, with the Racing Bulls staff principal being changed in his earlier function by Alan Permane.
Horner confronted off-track investigations into his habits in the direction of an worker final 12 months, and on-track the staff has slipped from competitiveness over the previous 18 months. Regardless of Max Verstappen successful final 12 months’s drivers’ championship, the staff completed third within the 2024 constructors’ standings and is at the moment fourth behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes, whereas Verstappen can be 69 factors adrift of Oscar Piastri on this 12 months’s title combat.
There have additionally been a lot of high-profile departures within the type of Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and former sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber as staff principal.
The choice to take away Horner brings to an finish the longest reign of a at the moment serving staff principal, with Pink Bull having received eight drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles, and 124 races in his time in cost.
“We wish to thank Christian Horner for his distinctive work during the last 20 years,” Oliver Mintzlaff, Pink Bull CEO of company initiatives and investments, stated. “Along with his tireless dedication, expertise, experience and revolutionary considering, he has been instrumental in establishing Pink Bull Racing as one of the profitable and engaging groups in Method 1.
“Thanks for all the things, Christian, and you’ll endlessly stay an necessary a part of our staff historical past.”
Horner’s departure comes at a time when there was important hypothesis over the way forward for Verstappen, who has been linked with a transfer to Mercedes as early as 2026. The Dutchman has performance-based clauses in his contract that might permit him to maneuver previous to the tip of his present deal that runs till 2028, and Mercedes is believed to be well-placed in the case of the event of subsequent 12 months’s energy unit laws.
Mekies is promoted from Racing Bulls having been staff principal throughout his second spell there since early 2024, becoming a member of from Ferrari the place he was deputy staff principal and racing director. Previous to that he labored on the FIA, rising to develop into deputy race director, and had began his F1 profession at Arrows in 2001, happening to affix Minardi earlier than its takeover and rebranding as Toro Rosso.
