Christian Horner’s Fall from Power: How Team Verstappen Took Control of Red Bull Racing

For over 20 years, Christian Horner has been the face of Red Bull Racing, leading the team to 124 race wins, eight driver championships, and six constructor titles. His position seemed unassailable. But in 2022, the landscape of Formula 1 (F1) began to shift in a way that would ultimately cost him not just his job but his place at the heart of Red Bull Racing. It wasn’t a sudden collapse brought about by poor performance on the track, but a much quieter, more insidious coup. The victors? They were already inside his own team.

In this article, we will explore how the internal dynamics at Red Bull Racing, particularly after the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, triggered a power shift that left Christian Horner on the sidelines. We will also delve into the rise of Team Verstappen and how Max Verstappen and his camp orchestrated Horner’s fall from grace, all without most fans ever realizing it.

The Death of Dietrich Mateschitz and the Changing Power Dynamics

Dietrich Mateschitz’s passing in 2022 marked the beginning of the end for Christian Horner. Mateschitz, Red Bull’s co-founder and the man who shielded Horner from potential challenges within the team, had always been the stabilizing force behind Horner’s leadership. His death left a vacuum at the top of Red Bull, and this change in leadership would prove to be pivotal.

At first glance, it seemed that Horner was granted more freedom than ever before. He was allowed to make decisions without the tight oversight Mateschitz had provided, but this newfound autonomy also exposed Horner to new challenges. According to Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver and commentator, this is when things began to shift. More power meant more responsibility, but it also meant more enemies.

With Mateschitz gone, Red Bull’s power structure began to fragment. Without the central authority of Mateschitz to keep everything together, factions within the team began to rise. And perhaps the most significant of these factions was Team Verstappen.

Jos Verstappen: The Man Who Made It Personal

Max Verstappen, already the team’s star driver, was at the center of this new power struggle. While Max was winning races and titles, his father, Jos Verstappen, became increasingly vocal behind the scenes. Known for his blunt, no-nonsense attitude, Jos made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the way things were being run at Red Bull, particularly when it came to Christian Horner’s leadership.

Jos Verstappen’s influence over his son was no secret, but behind the scenes, it was clear that he had a much more significant role than most people realized. Insiders claim that Jos and his camp began to work behind the scenes to undermine Horner. At Silverstone in 2023, a public clash between Jos Verstappen and Red Bull’s press chief made headlines. The fallout from this incident was swift and quiet—two high-ranking PR heads within Red Bull were placed on “gardening leave” shortly after the altercation. Was this just a coincidence, or was it part of a broader strategy to weaken Horner’s inner circle?

Ralf Schumacher believes that Horner changed after Mateschitz’s death, and this shift in leadership style is what ultimately led to his downfall. Schumacher suggests that Horner’s approach became more autocratic and less collaborative, which did not sit well with key members of the team, including Verstappen’s camp. In this environment, where every decision could be scrutinized and challenged, Horner’s position became increasingly tenuous.

The Silent Coup: How Team Verstappen Gained Control

Max Verstappen’s dominance on the track, combined with the influence of his father, Jos, allowed the Verstappen camp to exert significant pressure on Red Bull Racing. As Martin Brundle, a former F1 driver and current commentator, pointed out, Verstappen’s camp had been “lobbing hand grenades” at Horner for months. These subtle, behind-the-scenes tactics eventually wore down Horner’s position at the top.

Brundle’s comment about “lobbing hand grenades” wasn’t just metaphorical. It referred to the calculated and strategic moves made by the Verstappen camp to slowly weaken Horner’s influence. This wasn’t about outright confrontation but about planting seeds of doubt and division within the team. Whether it was through orchestrating public clashes or making strategic alliances within the team, Verstappen and his camp were working in the shadows to reshape Red Bull Racing in their image.

And, chillingly, these tactics worked. By the time the dust settled, Red Bull Racing had not just lost Christian Horner; they had handed control to the very people who had spent years pushing for his removal. Team Verstappen, with Max as the unquestioned leader and Jos pulling the strings behind the scenes, had effectively taken over.

The New Red Bull: Max Verstappen’s Vision for the Future

So, who really runs Red Bull Racing now? On paper, Max Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull extends to 2028, but it’s clear that his influence goes far beyond what his contract states. Verstappen’s vision for the team, shaped by his father and their close-knit camp, has become the driving force behind the team’s direction.

This new Red Bull is one built on leverage, timing, and silence. It’s a vision where Max Verstappen isn’t just the star driver but the undisputed leader of the entire operation. With Horner removed from the picture, the team has been reshaped to fit this new vision. And in this vision, there’s no room for Christian Horner.

For those who followed Red Bull Racing closely, this power struggle may have seemed subtle at first. The public focus was always on the races, the wins, and Verstappen’s growing dominance on the track. But behind the scenes, a battle for control was quietly unfolding. It’s a battle that most fans didn’t see coming, but now, in hindsight, it’s clear that Horner’s fall was inevitable.

Conclusion: The End of an Era

Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull Racing marked the end of an era for the team. For over two decades, he was synonymous with the team’s success, guiding them to numerous championships and victories. However, the death of Dietrich Mateschitz and the subsequent power shift within the team left Horner vulnerable.

Max Verstappen, with the support of his father, Jos, has reshaped Red Bull Racing in his own image, and Horner’s fall was the inevitable consequence of this shift. In the end, it wasn’t poor performance on the track that led to Horner’s downfall—it was a subtle, well-orchestrated power struggle that played out in the shadows. The real battles in F1 aren’t always fought on the track; sometimes, they happen behind closed doors, and Red Bull Racing is a perfect example of this hidden world of paddock politics.

For fans, the question remains: Was Christian Horner the problem, or was he just in the way of a master plan that had been in the works for years? Regardless, one thing is certain—Red Bull Racing will never be the same again.

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