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Christian Horner hit back at Red Bull with Mike Krack comment when they tried to change his role
TL;DR
Christian Horner was dismissed from Red Bull in July 2025 after losing the ownership's trust. He reportedly aimed to avoid a fate similar to Mike Krack's sidelining before his departure.
Key points
- Christian Horner was sacked in July 2025.
- He lost the trust of Red Bull's ownership.
- Horner achieved eight championship wins with Red Bull.
- Mike Krack was moved to a new role after Andy Cowell took over.
- Lawrence Stroll is the public face of Aston Martin.
Mentioned in this story
Christian HornerMike KrackRed BullAston MartinLawrence StrollAndy Cowell
Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images
Christian Horner was sacked in July 2025 after losing the faith of Red Bullâs ownership, but journalist Nate Saunders says he didnât want to be sidelined like Mike Krack before the decision was made.
During his time at the helm, Horner guided Red Bull to eight championship wins and built a reputation as one of the most influential figures in the sport, alongside Mercedesâ Toto Wolff.
Aston Martin operates under a different structure. There, Lawrence Stroll is the public face of the organisation while also handling business operations. Stroll brought in Krack early in 2022 and then moved him into a new role three years later when Andy Cowell took over as team principal.
Christian Horner resisted Red Bullâs attempts to change his role
Speaking on The Race F1 podcast, Saunders said Red Bull were looking to ease Horner out of full control. Over at sister team Racing Bulls, Peter Bayer handled the commercial side, while Alan Permane managed racing operations.
During the Austrian GP, Hornerâs second-to-last race, Red Bull sports chief Oliver Mintzlaff pushed for him to give up commercial duties, highlighting what Saunders described as an âold-schoolâ mindset. F1 teams are increasingly moving away from having a single dominant team boss. While Laurent Mekies held the same title as Horner, his focus was entirely on engineering and racing.
âIf you look at the undoing of Christian Horner, a lot of the root of that was the commercial desire of the Austrian side of Red Bull to really control that part of the business,â Saunders explained. âPeter Bayer does that for the junior team.
âIt was the Austrian Grand Prix last year where Oliver Mintzlaff and the wider Red Bull company sat down with Horner and said, âYou need to give up some of the commercial stuff.â
âHorner made a joke, âWell you can go and sign Mike Krack if you want that kind of role.â That was a really fascinating clash of two mindsets.â
Q&A
Why was Christian Horner sacked from Red Bull in July 2025?
Christian Horner was sacked after losing the faith of Red Bull's ownership.
What role did Mike Krack have before being sidelined?
Mike Krack served as the team principal at Aston Martin before being moved to a new role.
How many championship wins did Christian Horner achieve with Red Bull?
Christian Horner guided Red Bull to eight championship wins during his tenure.
What is the leadership structure at Aston Martin compared to Red Bull?
Aston Martin's structure features Lawrence Stroll as the public face and business operator, while Red Bull had Christian Horner as a prominent figure.
