Key Highlights:
- Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner revealed that Red Bull shareholders and CEO Oliver Mintzlaff personally contacted him following Red Bull Ford Powertrains’ first Formula 1 victory.
- Horner, who was dismissed in July 2025 and replaced by Laurent Mekies, was the driving architect behind creating the Milton Keynes engine division following Honda’s initial exit announcement.
- Reflecting on his departure, Horner addressed the internal power shifts following the death of cofounder Dietrich Mateschitz and the loss of operational autonomy.
Horner Receives Recognition for Red Bull Ford Powertrains Success
Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has disclosed that the upper management and shareholders of Red Bull reached out to him after the Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine achieved its maiden Formula 1 victory in Malaysia. Horner, who spent two decades directing the Milton Keynes-based operation from its takeover of Jaguar ahead of the 2005 championship season until his firing in July 2025, served as the primary architect behind establishing Red Bull’s in-house power unit division.
Under Horner’s tenure, Red Bull won eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ crowns. However, one of his largest undertakings was transforming the organization from an independent customer team into an engine manufacturer. After Honda planned its withdrawal from F1 at the end of 2021, Red Bull utilized the Japanese power units through last year before introducing its internally built power unit, engineered in technical collaboration with Ford, for the 2026 campaign. Driver Max Verstappen delivered the engine project’s breakthrough win at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, before following it up with another victory one week later in Singapore.
Speaking during a conference appearance at the Autosport Business Exchange in New York, Horner recounted the high-stakes journey of building an engine program from the ground up: We managed to do it on the chassis side and then the challenge came, could we do it on the engine side?
Horner stated. You know, we needed to have an engine after Honda announced their withdrawal in 2020. So we created this start-up company, Red Bull Powertrains, with the same philosophy of attracting the talent, giving people a chance, giving people the opportunity, and then empowering them and encouraging them to push the boundaries.
He added: I’ve been super proud to see how that engine has developed and delivered this year.
An “Appreciated Gesture” Amid a Changed Corporate Dynamic
The milestone achievement on the track earned Horner direct acknowledgment from senior leadership within the Red Bull parent company, including executive figures who had authorized his departure just over a year prior. Horner noted the significance of the communications he received in the wake of the milestone win.
It was an appreciated gesture, seeing that engine and knowing what went into it, you know, the sweat and tears along the way,
the Briton continued. For all the men and women involved, it was an incredible, incredible achievement. And their 16th attempt to win a grand prix, which is very hard at the best of times.
Horner highlighted the direct contact made by executive leadership, contrasting it with his dismissal: I was very grateful to both the shareholders who reached out, and [Red Bull CEO] Oliver Mintzlaff who reached out to thank me as well. It was quite a different call than I had from him 15 months earlier.
The Impact of Dietrich Mateschitz’s Passing and Loss of Autonomy
The call Horner referenced marked the conclusion of his 20-year term in July 2025, when he was removed from his post and Laurent Mekies was named as his replacement. Horner’s standing within the organization had become progressively vulnerable following the late 2022 death of Red Bull cofounder Dietrich Mateschitz. As dynamics shifted, Horner faced fractured backing from the camp surrounding Max Verstappen as well as the Yoovidhya family—led by majority owner Chalerm Yoovidhya—making his eventual exit what he characterized as pretty abrupt and quite brutal
.
Explaining how the internal corporate atmosphere shifted after Mateschitz passed away, Horner detailed the organizational centralization that followed: I felt that things were changing,
he explained. Nothing stays the same forever, and after the founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, sadly passed at the end of ‘22, it was always going to be the case that the company was going to evolve and was going to change.
Dietrich, he was Red Bull, he was the power behind it, he made all the big decisions. And suddenly, obviously, trying to replace somebody like that is impossible,
Horner noted. Inevitably, as the group evolved and took on that challenge, it was just different. There was a drive to bring more control back into the head office, and that sat differently from the autonomy that we’d enjoyed at Red Bull Racing and in Milton Keynes.
Reflecting on why the partnership ultimately fractured, Horner concluded: It was a different path that essentially what we were on, and you could feel that that was changing. It wasn’t that it was right or wrong, it was just different. And I didn’t feel, certainly, that it was what had allowed us to achieve so much success over the years. So, inevitably, it came to an end.
Why This Matters
The establishment of Red Bull Powertrains in Milton Keynes represented one of the most resource-intensive and ambitious gambles in modern Formula 1 history. Historically, private or customer operations struggled to match the engineering might of traditional works outfits like Ferrari or Mercedes without heavy OEM backing. By partnering with Ford while constructing bespoke facilities on its campus, Red Bull sought to safeguard its competitive future regardless of partner departures.
The fact that Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff and majority ownership formally commended Horner indicates that despite intense boardroom politics and his eventual sacking in 2025, his legacy as the founder of the power unit infrastructure remains recognized at the highest levels of the brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Christian Horner leave Red Bull Racing?
Horner was sacked in July 2025 and replaced by Laurent Mekies. His standing had eroded following the passing of company cofounder Dietrich Mateschitz in late 2022, alongside shifting dynamics with the Verstappen camp, majority owner Chalerm Yoovidhya, and head office executives who sought more direct control over the Milton Keynes team.
Who won the first race for the Red Bull Ford power unit?
Max Verstappen secured the Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine’s first Grand Prix win at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, quickly following it with a consecutive victory in Singapore.
When did Red Bull decide to build its own Formula 1 engines?
The decision to build Red Bull Powertrains originated after Honda announced in 2020 that it would withdraw from Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season. Red Bull continued using Honda units under agreement until debuting its collaborative engine with Ford in 2026.
