Christian Horner’s reign as Red Bull’s pit boss could be rapidly drawing to a close, according to reports from Austria.
With Horner at the helm, Red Bull have won six Formula One Constructors’ Championships, with the team’s drivers winning the World Championship on six occasions since 2005.
His side have dominated the last four years of the sport, though the back end of the 2024 season saw McLaren emerge as genuine contenders, and this year Red Bull have been outclassed by the British side.
So far, Red Bull have only won one race – the Japanese Grand Prix – while McLaren drivers Lando Norris (one) and Oscar Piastri (four) have won the other five.
Worse still, consultant Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen, whose future is also far from certain, both expressed concerns over the level of performance the car is able to produce at times during the season.
Now, reports are claiming that Red Bull could even part ways with Horner after the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
Reports in Austria have suggested Red Bull could part ways with Christian Horner after Imola
Horner and his wife Geri showed solidarity in Bahrain last year amid accusations of ‘coercive behaviour’ against Horner
Former second-team boss Franz Tost is one of the names being linked with replacing Horner
It comes after a difficult spell on a personal level for Horner, who in 2024 was accused by a female employee of ‘coercive behaviour’, accusations he has always denied.
In an internal war, the Austrian side of the company headed by Mark Mateschitz, son of the energy drink company’s founder Dietrich, were believed to want Horner out. The Englishman was seen as trying to seize too much power in the wake of Dietrich’s death in 2022. The Verstappens were inclined to this camp.
Horner, however, maintained the support of the Thai end of the business, Dietrich’s fellow Red Bull founder, Chalerm Yoovidhya. He remained 51 per cent co-owner of the wider company, as opposed to its F1 derivative, Red Bull GmbH.
According to oe24, Red Bull have already been discussing potential successors such as former Alpine boss Oliver Oakes, who only recently left his role there.
Similarly, Franz Tost – who led Red Bull’s second team on the grid for many years – is also thought to be considered should a mid-season shake-up take place.
However, despite the reports, sources close to Red Ball have informed Mail Sport that Horner’s job is not at risk.
Interestingly Tost’s departure from the junior team came amid clashes with Horner, having left Formula One after 18 years in the sport with Toro Rosso and later Alpha Tauri.
During his time in this role, Tost worked alongside future champions Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, as well as Daniel Ricciardo.
