After two decades at the helm, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has been sacked. This news comes after weeks of speculation about Max Verstappen’s future at Milton Keynes – which has had repercussions for Horner’s leadership.

Horner replaced after failure to address key issues at Red Bull

It was roughly eighteen months ago that Christian Horner found himself surrounded in controversy.

The 51-year-old was faced with allegations that, beyond generating plenty of discussion in F1 news cycles, created rifts within the team.

At the height of this controversy, Jos Verstappen (father of Max) passionately argued that Horner should resign from his position.

Jos Verstappen argued that the British team principal was negatively impacting the team and having a detrimental impact.

“There is tension here while he remains in this position,” he claimed.

“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explore – he is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”

When Max Verstappen was asked about his father’s comments, he refused to distance himself from them.

As 2024 progressed, these early-season tensions at Red Bull de-escalated, at least on the surface.

However, this does not mean the team recovered from the words exchanged at the beginning of the year.

Over the last few weeks, LWOS has been among several outfits to report on talks between Verstappen and Mercedes.

One report on this saga, however, is particularly relevant to Christian Horner’s reported dismissal.

It was German outlet AMuS who wrote that Max Verstappen’s camp wanted Horner to have less influence on Red Bull’s decision-making.

This demand is understood to have been part of discussions for Verstappen to continue with Red Bull team – amidst their declining performance.

Whilst Horner’s departure is unlikely to guarantee that Verstappen will stay, it certainly represents a clear and intentional shift.

This move is unlikely to have happened without the Dutchman being informed beforehand.

Not only does Horner’s exit mark the end of an era at Red Bull, but it demonstrates a recognition of the team’s shortcomings.

Rectifying the situation at Red Bull

Of course, Christian Horner being fired does not necessarily mean that Red Bull’s performance in 2025 will improve.

There aren’t many upgrades scheduled for the RB21, with Red Bull shifting their focus to next year’s regulations.

Horner’s departure is, however, relevant for how the team will handle its other problems. These include the growing risk of losing Verstappen, in addition to the recent ‘brain drain’ from Milton Keynes.

Over the last eighteen months, Red Bull’s driver situation has been extremely unstable.

Verstappen has seen three different teammates in less than a year – representative of the instability at the team.

Laurent Mekies, who will replace Horner, is tasked with bringing some calm to the uneasy waters at Red Bull.

Considering Mekies’ high appraisal for Yuki Tsunoda, no driver changes should be expected for the remainder of 2025.

In this sense, there should be some sense of continuity within the team.

On the Verstappen front, the Frenchman’s good relations with the Dutchman will be essential

Mekies, who joins from VCARB, is tasked with showing Verstappen that Milton Keynes are progressing ahead of 2026.

Considering the strained nature of Horner’s relationship with the Verstappen camp, Mekies has a chance to start fresh.

Beyond this, Red Bull’s new team principal must prevent the continued loss of top personnel from Milton Keynes.

Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall and Jonathan Wheatley are some of many senior figures to leave in the last year.

Marshall, who is often overlooked in discussions about the F1 engineering market, has been integral to McLaren’s success.

A new era begins

Moving forward, Red Bull will work to reverse this trend – which has seen them losing top talents to rivals.

Since Newey’s exit, Christian Horner has given more influence to Pierre Wache – who is currently the team’s technical director.

In fact, even before Newey left, Horner was responsible for making Wache a bigger voice in Red Bull’s development.

This likely contributed to Newey’s move to Aston Martin, who felt increasingly marginalised at Milton Keynes.

Although the 66-year-old’s exact motivations for leaving Red Bull have not been disclosed the polemics of early 2024 almost certainly played a role.

Regardless, after a second season of virtually zero progression, Wache’s position might be re-assessed under new team principal Laurent Mekies.

Red Bull’s Technical Director has enjoyed very limited success since spear-heading development.

The aftermath of Red Bull’s blockbuster decision remains to be seen – but whatever happens, it marks a new era.

Main photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images (via Red Bull content pool)

OWOSSO, Mich. (WJRT) – Retired NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick and his son Keelan are set to race at the Owosso Speedway next week.

Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champion, will participate in the Master of the Pros 200 stock car race on July 16. Track owner Rex Wheeler said “the most prestigious pro late model race in America” draws drivers from across the country.

Gates open at 2 p.m., a driver autograph session is scheduled at 6 p.m. and racing action starting at 7 p.m. with a field of 26 drivers. Tickets for the event are $15 for adults and pit passes cost $35.

Kevin Harvick, 49, raced in the NASCAR Cup Series for most of 22 seasons starting in 2001, when he replaced the legendary Dale Earnhardt following his death in the season opening Daytona 500.

Harvick went on to race 12 seasons for Richard Childress Racing before switching to Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2014 season, when he won his only series championship. He retired from Cup Series races after the 2023 season.

Harvick then moved to the broadcast booth as part of the Fox Sports team. He has continued racing part time in lower series and began competing against his son, Keelan, earlier this year.

Keelan and Kevin Harvick have raced against each other several times this summer. Keelan, 13, earned his first late model stock car win last month in a CARS Tour West race in California.

Owosso Speedway is a 0.375-mile paved oval track west of Owosso on M-21. The track has expanded significantly in recent years and now boasts a seating capacity of more than 11,000 spectators.

The track announced plans last winter for an ambitious $180 million expansion to increase seating capacity to more than 20,000 while adding a number of other amenities. 

Red Bull boss exits the team after a stellar two decades that yielded eight Formula One Drivers’ World Championships.

Red Bull have sacked team principal Christian Horner and appointed Laurent Mekies as the Briton’s replacement, the Formula One team announced.

The 51-year-old Horner was the longest-serving team principal, having been in the position since Red Bull made its Formula One debut in 2005.

Frenchman Mekies joins from Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls. Alan Permane, currently racing director, will be promoted to team principal at Racing Bulls.

“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today (Wednesday 9 July 2025) and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing,” the Milton Keynes-based team said in a statement on Wednesday.

Red Bull won eight Drivers’ World Championships and six Constructors’ Championships under Horner, but struggled this season, with the team sitting fourth with 172 points in the constructors’ standings. They trail leaders McLaren by 288 points.

Red Bull’s four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen has won two of 12 races and is third in the drivers’ championship. He is 69 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri at the midway stage of the 24-round season.

Horner’s position was questioned, with Verstappen’s father calling last year for him to go, after allegations of misconduct were made by a female employee. The Briton denied them and was cleared after an investigation.

“It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people. The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning,” Mekies said.

“Alan is the perfect man to take over now and continue our path. He knows the team inside out and has always been an important pillar of our early successes.”

Carson Ware, the 25-year-old NASCAR driver and brother of Cup Series competitor Cody Ware, is making a dramatic personal change to revitalize his struggling racing career. On July 8, Ware announced through social media that he has decided to remove his prominent neck and face tattoos, with his first laser removal appointment scheduled for next Tuesday.

This decision comes as part of a broader effort to attract better sponsorship opportunities and rebuild his image following years of setbacks both on and off the track. Ware has competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2020, primarily with SS-Green Light Racing and his father Rick’s team, Rick Ware Racing, but has struggled to secure consistent funding and competitive results.

Cody Ware’s Brother Seeks Fresh Start After Troubled Past

“After some time thinking, I have decided to remove my neck and face tattoos. My first appointment is next Tuesday!” Ware announced on his social media platforms.

He acknowledged the mixed reactions his appearance has generated throughout his career, stating, “For those that never judged me because of them, you have no idea what that meant. For those that did, I can’t say I blame you or don’t understand.”

Carson’s racing journey has been marked by significant challenges. Through his first 18 national series starts, he failed to achieve any top 10 finishes, with his best result being a 20th-place finish at Pocono in 2020.

His career took a major hit in October 2021 when he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of assault and property damage. NASCAR indefinitely suspended him under its member conduct guidelines, and SS-Green Light Racing removed him from competition.

He worked hard to make things right, and NASCAR let him back in June 2022. But being away from racing for three years really hurt his chances of finding good rides and attracting sponsors. In a sport where drivers need corporate backing to succeed, his troubles made it even harder to get the support he needed.

Professional Image Transformation

“I want to be able to represent companies in NASCAR to the best of my ability, and this decision aligns with that,” Ware explained about his tattoo removal decision. In today’s sponsorship-driven NASCAR environment, a driver’s appearance can be just as important as their on-track performance when it comes to attracting corporate partners.

Ware recently showed signs of his racing potential by capturing his first CARS Tour victory at Ace Speedway in May 2025. With his brother Cody competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, Carson has both inspiration and high expectations within his racing family.

His goal now is to secure better-funded opportunities in the Xfinity Series and leverage his improved image to attract sponsors who may have previously been hesitant to associate with his controversial past.

The Nissan Formula E Team is looking for a Mechanic.

The key responsibilities in this role include carrying out technical inspections, assembly and specific adjustments to vehicles and participating in briefing and debriefing meetings with the team to adjust strategies and identify areas for technical improvement.

You will have a minimum of three years of hands-on experience in single-seater motorsport.

The Mercedes F1 Team has a vacancy for a Race and Test Travel Coordinator.

You will be producing and publishing the travel itinerary including preparation of the itinerary document, welcome letters and E-Tickets, completing the flight manifest and rooming list and booking all ground transfers in the UK and overseas.

Candidates will have experience of travel administration in a fast-moving environment.

Join M-Sport as a Travel Coordinator.

In this position you will be planning and booking international and domestic travel for team members, including flights, accommodation, rental vehicles and visas and coordinating these requirements across all motorsports events and testing programmes.

You will have proven experience in travel coordination, logistics or a similar role.

Applications close on Friday 1 August 2025.

The Alpine F1 Team is recruiting a HR Administrator.

You will be maintaining employee records, supporting operational HR processes, and ensuring accurate payroll data input.

The ideal candidate will have experience in a HR administrate role ideally in a shared services or centralised HR function with familiarity with HRIS and payroll systems.

Red Bull Racing has an opening for a Laminate Design Engineer.

This role will see you cover all aspects of Composite Laminate Design, including LPP & FibreSim 3D laminate modelling for applicable parts.

You will have recent practical composite laminating experience in a motorsport/F1 setting and experience using 3D CAD, CorelDRAW, LPP/FibreSim 3D laminate modelling.

Applications close on Thursday 17 July 2025.