Longtime Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was fired abruptly Wednesday after a 20-year stint that included eight Formula 1 drivers titles and a rise to celebrity status.

Red Bull did not give a reason for the decision in a statement Wednesday but thanked Horner for his work and said he will “forever remain an important part of our team history.”

Laurent Mekies of sister team Racing Bulls will replace Horner in his role as chief executive of the Red Bull team.

Horner had been Red Bull team principal since it entered F1 as a full constructor in 2005. He had performed his team and media duties as normal throughout the British Grand Prix last week.

His wife is Geri Halliwell — Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls — and Horner himself became a celebrity figure through his prominence on Netflix’s F1 docuseries “Drive to Survive,” in which his bitter rivalry with Mercedes’ Toto Wolff was a key plot point. He and F1 champion Max Verstappen were booed at the season launch in London in February.

Horner oversaw eight F1 drivers titles — four for Sebastian Vettel and four for Verstappen — and six constructors titles during his time with the team.

But McLaren has dominated this season while Red Bull’s performance has dipped, though defending champion Verstappen remains third in the standings and the team is fourth.

Uncertainty for the future

Horner spent much of last week fielding questions over Verstappen’s future with the team after the Dutch driver declined to commit to stay with Red Bull for 2026. Zak Brown, boss of rival McLaren, told The Associated Press last week it would be a “disaster” for Red Bull if Verstappen were to leave.

Horner is the latest in a series of high-profile executives to leave the team over the last year and a half. Car design great Adrian Newey joined Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley departed for Sauber, which is soon to become the Audi works team. All of these changes have followed the 2022 death of Dietrich Mateschitz, the billionaire co-founder of Red Bull who created its F1 project.

The team also shuffled drivers, dropping Sergio Perez at the end of last season before a brief failed experiment with Liam Lawson as Verstappen’s teammate. He was in turn replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, who hasn’t scored a point in five races.

“We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s chief executive for corporate projects and investments, said in a statement. “With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”

The announcement comes more than a year after Horner was accused of misconduct toward a team employee.

An investigation conducted on behalf of the Red Bull company dismissed the allegation, as did a further investigation conducted after the employee appealed against the initial ruling, Red Bull said at the time.

Horner remained in charge of the F1 team throughout the entire process.

Red Bull’s next challenge

Horner, a former driver whose racing career stalled one level below F1, was the youngest team boss in F1 at 32 when he took charge of Red Bull in 2005 after its parent drinks company bought what had been Jaguar. He’s the only leader the team has known since.

As team principal and CEO, Horner had unusually broad authority for an F1 boss. He signaled last week he expected to stay in charge for a long time.

“We have a very tight senior management, a very strong structure,” Horner said. “We’ve got strength in depth. We don’t feel, and I certainly don’t feel, that there’s a need to change or tune it.”

Horner’s departure comes in the middle of the team’s efforts to prepare for one of the biggest rule changes in F1 in decades next season. Red Bull will make its own engines in partnership with Ford, a project led by Horner.

At Racing Bulls, whose cars have sometimes outperformed the main Red Bull team this season, Alan Permane will be promoted from racing director to team principal to fill the gap left by Mekies.

“The spirit of the whole (Racing Bulls) team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning,” Mekies said in a statement released by Racing Bulls, which did not mention Horner.

“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.”

Originally Published: July 9, 2025 at 9:17 AM CDT

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WBTV) – NASCAR is coming back to a historic North Carolina track in 2026 after a successful return in 2025.

Next season’s preseason “Clash” will be held at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. Chase Elliott — NASCAR’s most popular driver — won the 2025 event in February. It was the first Cup Series race at the venue since 1971.

Elliott thanked fans for making the return to Bowman Gray “special” after February’s win.

Built inside the football stadium at Winston-Salem State University, the quarter-mile oval has earned the nickname “The Madhouse” thanks to its bumper-to-bumper, action-packed racing.

“The 2025 race was an immensely successful event for all parties involved,” Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines said in a news release. “We will work hard to ensure that the 2026 Cook Out Clash is even more successful.”

The Clash — which is scheduled 14 days prior to the Daytona 500 — is not a points-paying race. The 1971 event was the last points race at the North Carolina venue. Hall of Famer Bobby Allison was given credit for winning that race after a disputed finish was overturned in October 2024. The decision gave Allison his 85th win and broke a tie for the fourth-most in Cup history.

Other drivers who won Cup races at The Madhouse include Richard and Lee Petty, Junior Johnson, David Pearson and Glen Wood.

The 2026 Clash will be run on Sunday, Feb. 1. Tickets can be bought now by clicking here.

Bowman Gray hosts races every Saturday throughout the spring and summer and remains the longest-running weekly track.

Related: NASCAR’s most popular driver wins in return to historic North Carolina track

Copyright 2025 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Legacy Motor Club has announced that Hertz has signed on as
primary sponsor of John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE for the
NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway on July 20.

Hertz livery will make its NASCAR return on the high-banked
concrete mile at Dover—known as the “Monster Mile,” bringing international
motorsports synergy under the Knighthead umbrella.

Hertz Car Sales will
also be featured prominently on the racecar.

“We’re excited to see Hertz and Hertz
Car Sales on the No. 42 this summer at Dover,” said John Hunter Nemechek,
driver of the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota. “It’s awesome to represent such a
recognizable global brand, and even more special knowing it ties into the
broader Knighthead motorsport vision that spans NASCAR and endurance racing.”

Hertz’s entry into the NASCAR Cup Series complements its
sponsorship of Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA’s No. 12 and No. 38 Cadillacs in the
WEC. This cross-series sponsorship strategy, backed by Knighthead, exemplifies
a global approach to brand visibility and performance alignment across premier
racing platforms.

Gil West, Hertz Executive Officer said in a statement, “Hertz
has a proud legacy in motorsports and we’re excited to expand our presence by
partnering with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and John Hunter Nemechek for the NASCAR Cup
Series race at Dover.

He added, “This collaboration not only highlights our iconic
brand on one of racing’s biggest stages, but also showcases Hertz Car Sales as
a trusted source of high-quality used vehicles. It’s an exciting opportunity to
connect with fans and customers through the thrill of racing.”

Fans can get their first look at the Hertz-branded No. 42
Toyota Camry XSE during practice and qualifying at Dover on July 19, with race
coverage airing nationally on TNT Sports.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

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Christian Horner has been sacked as Red Bull team principal with immediate effect after 20 years, the Red Bull Racing Formula One team announced on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old oversaw a period of dominance by the team, winning the drivers’ championship eight times – including the past four titles with Max Verstappen  – and adding six constructors’ crowns.

Here’s what you need to know:

Who will replace Horner at Red Bull Racing?

Horner, who has been in charge of Red Bull since the team was formed in 2005, will be replaced by the principal of sister team Racing Bulls, Laurent Mekies.

A motorsport aerodynamics specialist, the French-born Mekies entered Formula One in the early 2000s and had stints working with Arrows, Minardi, Toro Rosso and Ferrari before joining Racing Bulls as team principal in 2024.

“I think he has a very, very good understanding of the business, having started as an engineer and then worked at the FIA,” said Fred Vasseur, current F1 team principal at Ferrari, when Mekies left the famous Italian team in July 2023.

No reason given for Horner sacking

Horner was sacked as Red Bull’s team principal with immediate effect.

The team’s official media statement, released on Wednesday, reads:

“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today [Wednesday, July 9, 2025] and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing. Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO Corporate Projects and Investments, thanked Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years.”

“We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” said Mintzlaff. “With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”

Martin Brundle, an ex-F1 driver, current race commentator and friend of Horner, told Sky Sports News:

“I am due to speak to Christian later. I put a message to him saying, ‘I am sorry to read this, can we have a chat before I am due to go on TV because I want to know more about it from his point of view’.

“He wasn’t able to do that. What he did say was that no reason was given to him as to why he is being released.”

A difficult 18 months for Horner

Horner’s dismissal follows a challenging period on several fronts for the team principal.

His exit from the team comes nearly a year-and-a-half after it was leaked that a female employee had accused Horner of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour. Horner was twice cleared of the claims by Red Bull headquarters, situated in Austria.

At the same time, Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, called for Horner to leave his position and claimed that the Briton’s presence could tear the team apart in a March 4, 2024, interview.

Jos told The Daily Mail that “there is tension while he remains in position”, referring to Horner.

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

The early-2025 departure of Adrian Newey – the former chief technology officer of Red Bull Racing and widely considered one of the greatest motorsport designers in F1 – to rival team Aston Martin was a huge loss to the Milton Keynes-based team and to Horner personally.

Newey had joined Red Bull in 2006, just months after Horner’s appointment, with the pair forming one of the most successful F1 management partnerships in history.

How successful was Horner as Red Bull boss?

Under Horner’s leadership, Red Bull won their first world championship in 2010, with German driver Sebastian Vettel taking the first of four consecutive drivers’ titles.

Following a multiyear period of dominance by archrival Mercedes, Red Bull, this time with Max Verstappen of the Netherlands as their star driver, entered a second championship window, winning four more drivers’ titles consecutively from 2021 to 2024.

In 2023, Horner presided over the most dominant season in Formula One history, with the team winning 21 of 22 races, and Verstappen setting a new F1 record with 10 consecutive victories.

Will Max Verstappen stay at Red Bull Racing?

At the midway point of the 2025 season, Verstappen trails McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the drivers’ standings and has all but conceded the drivers’ title for this season.

As far back as April 13, Verstappen was already pessimistic about the prospects of winning a fifth straight drivers’ championship.

“McLaren are not my rivals right now. I am just taking part in this world championship,” Verstappen said, as quoted by nl.motorsport.com.

When pressed further if he meant he doesn’t see himself competing for the 2025 drivers’ title, he replied: “No, I don’t.”

In recent days, and not for the first time, Verstappen has been linked with a move to rival Mercedes, possibly as soon as next season.

Brundle told Sky Sports News that Horner’s exit from Red Bull may defuse tensions, resulting in Verstappen re-signing with the only F1 team he has ever driven for.

“It makes it more likely that Verstappen will stay,” Martin Brundle said. “It became personal in Team Verstappen.”

Faithful Pontiac fans will be surrounded by all of their favorite cars at the 34th Annual Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals, July 18-20, 2025, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

The popular premier Pontiac event at the storied racing and entertainment venue has grown to be one of the largest of its kind in the country, and cars will cover multiple acres.

Racing categories include Kauffman Racing Equipment Quick 16, Butler Performance Frantic 4, AllPontiac.com Super Pro, PontiacSpeedShop.com Pro, Tin Indian Performance Street and 1A Auto Chief of the Pontiacs, and the all-Pontiac car show, with judging on Saturday, is always awe-inspiring.

Enthusiasts can also look forward to a swap meet, manufacturers’ midway, opportunities to buy or sell Pontiacs, Tin Indian Performance Wheelie Contest and more.

Famous Pontiac racer Arnie Beswick will be on-site to greet fans.

As always, the Bader Family Guarantee, which promises the best show possible at the best price possible, is in place and offers an unconditional money-back guarantee.

“Summit Motorsports Park is proud to partner with show promoters Pete and Andi Woodruff for this annual event in our home,” said Bill Bader, Summit Motorsports Park president. “The gathering grows every year, and there are cars as far as the eye can see. This event has a loyal fan-following, and that includes people who love Pontiacs and people who love cool cars in general. This year’s offering is shaping up to be the best yet.”

Tickets are on sale now. Parking and pit passes are free. For more information, visit summitmotorsportspark.com or call 419-668-5555.

This story was originally published on July 9, 2025.