F1 News: Firing Horner won't make the Red Bull dog any faster

How did Red Bull go from dominating Formula 1 to fielding the fifth-best car? The answer lies in budget mismanagement and the loss of key talent.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

In 2021, Red Bull breached the F1 cost cap, a violation confirmed by the FIA in 2022. This left the team unable to offer competitive raises to top design engineers Rob Marshall and Adrian Newey, who departed for greener pastures. Marshall joined McLaren, transforming their car into a powerhouse, while Newey now designs Aston Martin’s 2026 contender.

Team principal Christian Horner bears some responsibility for failing to retain these critical engineers, even if it meant sacrificing his own salary to free up budget. With Marshall and Newey gone, Pierre Wache took over as lead design engineer, but the RB20 and RB21 cars have consistently underperformed.

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing talks to the media during a press conference prior to F1 75 Live at InterContinental London O2 on February 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool — Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing talks to the media during a press conference prior to F1 75 Live at InterContinental London O2 on February 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)

Red Bull recently replaced Horner with Laurent Mekies, former head of their ‘B’ team, Racing Bulls. However, with Wache still leading car design, Red Bull’s struggles are likely to continue.

Pierre Wache, Technical Director of Oracle Red Bull Racing on the pit wall during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // — Pierre Wache, Technical Director of Oracle Red Bull Racing on the pit wall during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Only Max Verstappen’s exceptional talent occasionally masks the RB21’s shortcomings in qualifying, but McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes dominate in races. Red Bull’s second driver, regardless of who fills the seat, has been unable to compete due to the car’s lack of pace.

Verstappen, aware that Red Bull’s winning days are behind them, is rumored to be eyeing a move to Mercedes or Aston Martin after 2025.

With Honda engines departing Red Bull in 2026 and Yuki Tsunoda underperforming, Mekies may promote promising talents like Isack Hadjar, who’s shown potential in the VCARB 02, and 17-year-old Red Bull junior Arvind Lindblad, who’s impressed in Formula 2 and Silverstone’s FP1 session.

Another possibility is a driver swap: if Verstappen joins Mercedes, George Russell could move to Red Bull alongside Hadjar.

Alternatively, if Mercedes pairs Verstappen with Russell, their rookie Kimi Antonelli might be loaned to a Mercedes-powered team like Alpine, where Franco Colapinto has struggled.

Mekies faces a daunting challenge. His top priority should be luring Rob Marshall back to Red Bull, leveraging the budget freed up by Horner’s departure. Without Marshall’s expertise, Wache’s designs will likely keep the team’s cars lagging behind the competition.