In a surprising turnaround that caused Formula 1 Paddock, Red Bull Racing star driver Max Verstappen made explosive statements about the recent decision of the team to dismiss former director Christian Horner and replace him with Laurent Mekies, former chief of Sister Racing Bulls team. Verstappen’s revelations, which came out a few days ago after the 2025 Great British prize, suggest that Red Bull leadership orchestrated a calculated move to deceive Horner. There were three main reasons that reveal internal turbulence and strategic maneuvers within the team based in Milton Keynes. While Red Bull fights a challenging 2025 season, Verstappen’s statements generated debates about the team’s future direction and their own commitment to the team.

The saga began on July 9, 2025, when Red Bull announced that Horner, who has led the team since its foundation in 2005, was dismissed from their duties as CEO and team director with immediate effect. Laurent Mekies, who led Racing Bulls to success in the intermediate platoon, was appointed Horner’s successor while Alan remained the former position of Mekies on the sister team. The abrupt decision occurred after a year of controversy around Horner, including a 2024 text messaging scandal that damaged relationships within the team. However, recent comments from Verstappen suggest that the reasons for Horner’s departure go far beyond what was publicly revealed and point to a deliberate strategy of Red Bull’s board to change the team’s management.

According to Verstappen, the initial reason for Horner’s resignation was a growing divergence with the main stakeholders, including Verstappen’s own team. The tensions between Horner and Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, as well as with Red Bull Automobile Consultant Helmut Marko, would have reached the limit. Verstappen revealed that the team’s owners, Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, allied with Marko and others who felt that Horner’s leadership was no longer sustainable. This power internal dispute, says Verstappen, was exacerbated by his own frustration with the team’s performance in 2025, in which Red Bull is fourth in the builders championship with only two wins. Verstappen suggested that the decision to replace Horner was partly to appease it and ensure its loyalty amid rumors of a possible transfer to Mercedes in 2026.

The second reason, according to Verstappen, has to do with Red Bull’s preparations for the 2026 season, which will see the introduction of a totally new power unit. While Red Bull is in a transition to its own power unit project, the team’s board would have seen Mekies as a new face that could sail in this critical phase. Mekies’s technical experience and success in turning Racing Bulls into a consistently scoring team made him an attractive choice. Verstappen suggested that Horner, despite his history of six builders and eight pilots championships, was considered less equipped to master the technical complexities of the new regulation. This strategic change, according to Verstappen, was presented internally as a necessary development, but Horner was kept in the dark on the extension of plans for his replacement.

The third and most shocking reason cited by Verstappen is that Red Bull’s board used Horner as a scapegoat to divert the attention of broader organizational failures. The team’s problems with RB21 and Verstappen’s inability to compete for their fifth consecutive driver title put huge pressure on the team’s leadership. Verstappen explained that Horner was set aside to deal with criticism of the team’s mediocre performance, while real problems – such as delays in the power unit design and internal communication failures – were swept under the rug. By replacing Horner with Mekies, Red Bull wanted to convey the impression of decisive action and renewal, hoping to restore the confidence of Fans, Sponsors and Verstappen itself.

Verstappen’s public outrage at these complaints raises questions about his future at Red Bull. Although he has defended Horner’s leadership earlier, Verstappen’s comments indicate increasing disappointment with the team’s direction. With Mercedes cherishing it openly and Red Bull facing an uncertain future in 2026, Verstappen’s loyalty seems to be at stake. Mekies, now charged with reversing the situation, assumes a team in a crisis whose pilot Estrela openly questions the team’s integrity.

The consequences of Verstappen’s revelations will probably dominate headlines during the rest of the 2025 season. Fans and analysts wonder if Mekies will be able to unite a fragmented team and deliver the results necessary to keep Verstappen on board. For now, Red Bull’s dramatic restructuring has exposed deep tensions, and Verstappen’s explosive statements keep Milton Keynes under the spotlight.