Formula 1 experiences a drama that shakes the scene. On July 9, 2025, Christian Horner, who has formed one of the most successful race stables in history since 2005, was released with immediate effect. The decision that loudMotorsport magazineandBildAfter internal power struggles and a sporting descent fell, was accompanied by a cold comment by Jos Verstappen, the father of the four -time world champion Max Verstappen, who put Horner in Rage. According to posts on X (@dexpress_sport), Jos is said to have said shortly before throwing out in Silverstone: “If you stay, you destroy everything.” This sentence, which Horner’s greed for power and the team crisis appealed, marked the climax of a conflict that Red Bull brought to the edge of the chaos.
Horner, who led Red Bull to six designer and eight driver titles, has been under pressure since 2024. A scandal about supposedly inappropriate behavior towards an employee who loudlyHeute.atDespite the acquittal, the tensions tightened. Jos Verstappen, an influential player in the area of his son, already demanded Horner’s resignation at the time and warned: “The team will explode.” ((@redbulletin). The sporting crisis 2025, with Red Bull in fourth place on the constructor World Cup and only two wins by Max Verstappen, strengthened the criticism. The departure of design guru Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and other key figures such as Jonathan Wheatley made the team out loudESPNslide into a “precarious position”.
Jos Verstappen’s influence was crucial. Loudoe24.atHe supported Horner’s dismissal with motorsport consultant Helmut Marko and Mark Mateschitz, Red Bull’s 49 percent owner, while the Thai Yoovidhya family, who holds 51 percent, protected Horner Lange. But a change of power in the group, where Chalerm Yoovidhya loudlyoe24.atHorner’s position weakened two percent of his shares in a Swiss trust. Jos’s comment in Silverstone, theDaily MailThe last drop was described as a “violent argument”. Horner, the loudSky Sportsbroke into tears, the words are said to have perceived as a betrayal because he had always encouraged Max Verstappen.
Horner’s dismissal, followed by the appointment of Laurent Mekies, the previous head of the sister team Racing Bulls, is loudBBCAn attempt to keep Max Verstappen. The Dutchman, whose contract runs until 2028, is courted by Mercedes, led by Toto Wolff, who loudlySky ItaliaPlant a meeting in Sardinia. Verstappen, who won 203 by Red Bulls 210 World Cup points in 2025 (ESPN), is frustrated over the RB21, which loudlyformel1.deis difficult to coordinate. Johnny Herbert emphasized oppositeRacingNews365: “Since Newey’s departure, it’s not the same team anymore.” Jos Verstappens Print, supported by Marko, could be loudHeute.athave been an ultimatum: “either Horner goes, or max.”
The reactions in the Formula 1 world are mixed. Fans on X, like @Estagiariodaf1, see Jos as a driving force, while @Redbullf1france Max ’loyalty emphasizes his father:” He always stands behind him. ” Critics like Ralf Schumacher (Motorsport-Total) Warn that the dismissal does not solve the crisis because the new rules are pending in 2026 and Red Bull is technically technically behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes. Horner himself defended in his farewell speech (Bild) His merits: “From my first victory with Max up to four titles – it was the greatest honor.”
While Nico Hülkenberg’s podium in Silverstone and Cadillac’s driver’s announcement (Pérez and Bottas) employ Formula 1, Verstappen’s future remains uncertain. LoudSky Sportswants to “do everything” to keep Max, but rumors about an exit clause that applies if Verstappen is not in the top 3 of the driver’s World Cup until July (Heute.at), nourish speculations. Jos Verstappen’s cold comment not only shaked Horner, but also shaken the entire Formula 1 landscape. Whether Red Bull under Mekies gets the curve and Max will stay, the next big question of the season will be, which will continue in Spa on July 25th.
