A week after the shocking news that Christian Horner was sacked by Red Bull Racing after 20 years of service, several drivers have responded to the news with varying reactions. Some were unfazed by the news, while others were shocked. Among them is Alex Albon, who drove for the Austrian outfit from 2019 until 2020.
In recent weeks, we have seen many sources say many different things that would have led to Horner’s exit. And while finding the cause might be important to some, many drivers and other F1 figures are very keen to look ahead. Alex Albon, however, reflects on Horner’s hard work with the team and his personal experience with the man who brought Red Bull to the top.
Alex Albon shares his response to Horner’s sacking
During media day at Spa, Alex Albon told the media about his reaction to the news:
“I was surprised! Obviously he is someone who has helped me a lot in my career. He’s been in the sport for a long time with a lot of success, so you could say he built that team up. So to see him go, obviously, was a surprise.”
The Thai driver drove for the Red Bull teams for three years until he left the outfit to return to Formula 1 with Williams Racing. He emphasises that Horner has helped him a lot in his career so far and that Horner has a way of finding and extracting talent from drivers:
“On my side, it was clear that he had his people, and he brought everyone up together. I think that there were a lot of long-standing members at Red Bull who were there for a long time and still are to this day as well. He seemed to have a good knack for finding the right people and then building a good circle around and they seemed to chip away at it, and very quickly get to the top. And I guess that’s a part of his success.”
With Horner out at Red Bull and Mekies stepping into his position until the end of the 2025 season, many people are confident that the Brit will return to the sport in a heartbeat. The question, however, is where that will be.
Horner’s next chapter in Formula 1 with a competitor?
Despite the obvious sad ending of Christian Horner’s career at Red Bull, it’s easy to overlook the fact that he was the main reason that the team got to the top to begin with. With a new era of Formula 1 just on the horizon, choosing a new team will be crucial for the next phase of Horner’s career.
There are several rumours making their rounds in the paddock regarding team principals in trouble or spots opening up soon. Alpine currently have no team principal after Olive Oakes announced he was leaving the team. Flavio Briatore has taken over his responsibilities for now, but he is only acting team principal. He and Horner go way back, so we could very well see Horner at the helm of Alpine from 2026.
F1 Insider Sparks Speculation on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Commitment After Christian Horner Twist
Another possibility is Ferrari, where Fred Vasseur has come under scrutiny following an underwhelming first half of the season for the Italian outfit. The team is the only one in the top 4 to not have won a race in the first half. Lewis Hamilton hasn’t been on the podium yet, and car balance hasn’t been positive this year either. Should Ferrari decide to get rid of Vasseur for next year, Horner is an obvious contender to replace him.
