Horner says Red Bull’s old ‘maverick’ identity is ‘a little different now’

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The former team principal says Red Bull once pushed boundaries, but declined to judge how Laurent Mekies runs the team.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · 20 Oct 2026, 02:57 · 1 min

Christian Horner says Red Bull’s old boundary-pushing identity has changed, describing the team as “a little different now” more than a year after his dismissal in July 2025.

Speaking to The Guardian, Horner called Red Bull a “maverick team” that pushed boundaries. He cited the decision to build a new Formula 1 engine within an energy-drinks company as an example of that streak; Red Bull Powertrains was created in 2021.

Horner did not offer a verdict on Laurent Mekies’s leadership. Asked about Red Bull’s power structure, he said he could not judge how his former sporting director operates. He identified CEO Oliver Mintzlaff as the most senior figure and Max Verstappen as a major asset; Horner had hired Mekies into Red Bull’s organisation.

The project Horner cited continued after his departure: Verstappen’s 2026 victories in Bahrain and Singapore came in a car powered by Red Bull’s first fully in-house engine.

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