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.

NASCAR Fans React To Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Announcement originally appeared on The Spun.

NASCAR fans are taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to react to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement on Monday evening.

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The Xfinity Series is set to arrive at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday. There are currently 39 drivers on the preliminary list for Saturday night’s race.

“There are 39 drivers on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Xfinity Series event on Saturday. Notables: 07-Labbe, 9-SVG, 14-Mosack, 17-Day, 19-Herbst, 32-Green, 35-TBA, 45-Perez, 53-Karam, 70-Rodgers, 91-Bilicki,” Joseph Srigley shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports is set to play a big factor in the race, with three drivers entered, including a surprise in Shane Van Gisbergen.

NASCAR fans are excited to see Dale Jr.’s drivers in action on Saturday night.

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“I believe I heard someone say it was an error, that you would not be crew chief for Connor at Sonoma 7/12… Will you or not? Curious minds want to know!!” one fan wrote.

“Having Conner as your driver on a road course while you’re crew chiefing is a cheat code!! Keep the fenders on it driver!!” one fan added.

“SVG vs Connor with Dale Jr would definitely be a more fair match up. Will definitely make SVG have to try for the win this time lol,” one fan added.

“Dude, walk away with that 1.000 batting avg,” one fan added.

“I see this and run down that driver list looking for your name. I should have known better, road course. ,” one fan added.

It’ll be a fun race on Saturday night, that’s for sure.

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NASCAR Fans React To Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Announcement first appeared on The Spun on Jul 8, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.

For the third time in five weekends, the NASCAR Cup Series will race on a road course.

After recent trips to Mexico and Chicago, the Cup Series is at Sonoma Raceway. Shane van Gisbergen seeks to tie Jeff Gordon’s record of three consecutive road course victories this weekend.

Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup teams heading into Sunday’s race.

23XI Racing — Good news: Tyler Reddick will make his 200th career Cup start this weekend. … Reddick finished eighth at Sonoma last year for his best Cup result there in four starts. … Reddick has eight top-10 finishes in the last 11 road course races. … Reddick ranks second in points scored (107) on road courses this season to Shane van Gisbergen (135 points). … Riley Herbst placed 17th at Chicago, ending a streak of seven consecutive finishes of 24th or worse this year. Bad news: Bubba Wallace was headed for a top-10 finish at Chicago before he crashed in the final laps after contact with Alex Bowman. … Wallace has finished outside the top 20 in six of the last nine races. … Wallace has three top-10 finishes in 35 Cup road course starts. … Herbst is tied with Shane van Gisbergen for most pit road speeding penalties this season with six.

Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Todd Gilliland finished 10th at Sonoma last year, his best result there in three Cup starts. … Zane Smith has four top-15 finishes in the last six races. Bad news: Gilliland has finished 22nd or worse in the last six races. … Noah Gragson has finished 23rd or worse in the last six races.

Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer finished eighth on the road course at Mexico last month. … All five of Custer’s top-20 finishes this season have come in the last 10 races. Bad News: Custer has gone 136 starts since his one Cup victory, which came at Kentucky in July 2020.

Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: Kyle Larson won last year’s race at Sonoma. … Alex Bowman is one of two drivers to finish in the top 10 in all three road course races this season (Shane van Gisbergen is the other). … Bowman has seven top-10 finishes in his last 11 Cup road course starts. … Chase Elliott has finished in the top 10 in the last four Sonoma races, tied with Ross Chastain for the longest active streak. … Elliott has led in each of the last five races at Sonoma. Bad news: Hendrick Motorsports has led a total of two laps in the three road course races this season. … Eleven different drivers have led more laps on road courses this season than Hendrick Motorsports. … William Byron has finished 27th or worse in each of the last three races. … Before his woes, only two drivers were within 100 points of Byron’s points lead. Now, two drivers are within 20 points and four drivers are within 40 points of Byron’s lead. … Larson has failed to lead a lap in six consecutive races.

Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will make his 200th Cup start with the organization this weekend. Bad news: Stenhouse has fallen from 15th in the playoff standings (10 points above the cutline) to 26th in the playoff standings (82 points below the cutline) in the last six races.

Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Denny Hamlin’s fourth-place finish last weekend at Chicago was only his second top-10 result on a road course in 19 starts in the Next Gen era. … Christopher Bell makes his 200th career Cup start this weekend. … Bell has finished in the top two in three of the last four road course races, including his win at COTA this year. … Ty Gibbs tied his career-best Cup finish by placing second at Chicago last week. … Gibbs has scored five consecutive top-15 finishes. Bad news: Hamlin has finished outside the top 30 in the last three Sonoma races. … Chase Briscoe has only two top-10 finishes in his last 10 starts on a road course.

Kaulig Racing — Good news: Ty Dillon, the No. 32 seed in the In-Season Challenge, is among the eight remaining drivers still with a chance to win the $1 million prize. … AJ Allmendinger placed sixth at Chicago for his first top-10 result since the Coca-Cola 600 in late May. … Allmendinger has six finishes of sixth or better in his last 10 Cup road course starts. Bad news: Dillon has never had a top-20 finish in five Sonoma Cup starts.

Eight drivers remain with the third round at Sonoma.

Legacy Motor Club — Good news: The team is guaranteed to have a driver among the final four in the In-Season Challenge with John Hunter Nemechek going against teammate Erik Jones in this weekend’s race at Sonoma. … Nemechek finished sixth at Mexico for his best Cup finish on a road course. … Jones has six top-15 finishes in the last nine races. Bad news: Jones has no top-10 finishes in his last 15 Cup road course starts.

Halfway through this season, John Hunter Nemechek has already topped his career mark for top-10 finishes in a season.

Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Kyle Busch has scored 23 of his 28 stage points at road courses this year. … Both of Busch’s top-five finishes this season have come on road courses. … Busch ranks second in the series in speed and third in passing on road courses this season. … Busch has two wins at Sonoma. Bad news: Austin Dillon finished a season-worst 36th last weekend at Chicago. … Dillon has placed 19th or worse in the last eight races. … Dillon has scored 17 points in three road course races this season, the fewest among drivers who started all three of those races.

Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware has scored more points in the last two races (35) than he had in the previous four races (29). Bad news: Ware was headed for his best finish in a Cup road course race until a brake rotor failed and he crashed in the final laps, finishing 26th. … Ware has never finished better than 24th in a Cup road course race in 18 starts.

Cody Ware slammed head-on into a tire barrier at Chicago but a caution was not immediately called by NASCAR.

RFK Racing — Good news: Ryan Preece gained 21 points on the playoff cutline at Chicago and is now two points out of a playoff spot with seven races left in the regular season. … Preece finished seventh at Chicago, giving him five top-10 results in the last eight races. … Preece ranks first in the series on restarts at road courses this season. … Chris Buescher has finished in the top five in each of the last three Sonoma races. … Buescher has seven top-10 finishes in his last 10 Cup road course starts. … Brad Keselowski ranks third in defense ratings on road courses this season. Bad news: Keselowski has failed to finish six races, tying Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez for most this season.

Ryan Preece closed to two points behind Bubba Wallace for the final playoff spot after the Chicago Street Race.

Spire Motorsports — Good news: Michael McDowell finished second at Sonoma last year. … McDowell has placed seventh or better in the last three Sonoma races. Bad news: Throttle issues derailed McDowell’s chances of winning at Chicago after he won the opening stage. … All three cars finished outside the top 20 at Chicago. … Justin Haley has one top-20 finish in the last eight races. … Carson Hocevar has finished 29th or worse in four of the last seven races.

Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney has five top-10 finishes in eight Sonoma starts. Bad news: Austin Cindric has not finished better than 18th in the three road course races this season. … Blaney has only two top-10 finishes, including a win, in the last seven races. … Joey Logano has gone five races without a top-10 finish, the second time this year that he has had a streak of at least five consecutive races without a top-10 result.

Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Shane van Gisbergen has won the past two road course races. … van Gisbergen is one of two drivers to finish in the top 10 in each of the three road course races this season (Alex Bowman is the other). … van Gisbergen is the only repeat winner in the last 10 Cup races this season. … van Gisbergen has a 2.67 average finish in three road course starts this year. … van Gisbergen’s three wins give him the most Cup wins by a foreign born driver. … Ross Chastain has finished in the top 10 in the last four Sonoma races, tied with Chase Elliott for the longest active streak. Bad news: Daniel Suarez has one top-10 finish in his last 15 Cup road course starts.

A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s Cup race at Chicago.

Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry has started in the top 10 in eight of 19 races this season. Bad news: Berry has finished 26th or worse in four of the last six races. … He placed 32nd last year at Sonoma in his lone Cup start there. … Berry has not scored a top-20 finish in eight Cup road course starts.

On August 1 – 3, 2025 one of the oldest organizations in vintage racing, and the only one with a national presence, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) is coming to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, with the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour.

Formula Cars from Around the World to Compete Head-to-Head

In addition to an array of vintage cars, the event will feature racing from Formula Race Promotions, Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) and Formula Regional America Championship (FR Americas), which are both led by Race Director, Scott Goodyear—the former racecar driver and television personality—who will also be on site!

The New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour features F4 U.S. Championships and FR Americas wheel-to-wheel racing! Both series are the first two steps on the Road to F1. New Jersey Motorsports Park’s 14-turn Thunderbolt Raceway is the 16th stop out of 22 stops on the national tour. When the lights go out at NJMP, five countries and 14 states across the USA will be represented across the two championships.

Spectators can get their tickets now at njmp.com. If you can’t make it in person, the races will be shown live, or tape delayed, on SPEED SPORT 1. SPEED SPORT 1 is a FAST channel — Free, Ad-Supported Streaming Television network. It is available on mainstream platforms with reach exceeding 200 million monthly active users, including Amazon Prime, Roku Channel, PlutoTV, SlingTV and more.

This event is in partnership with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). SVRA is committed to presenting the best possible experience for competitors and fans. From 200 MPH Indy and Formula 1 cars to classic Jaguars and Porsches, SVRA events provide a rolling history of motorsport where the cars are the stars.

Car Shows and More Off-Track Fun!

Car enthusiasts will also enjoy the display of classic, vintage and exotic cars at the Hagerty Cars and Caffeine car show right in the Thunderbolt paddock. Spectators who are looking to get behind the wheel themselves are welcome to book an Arrive and Drive go-karting session at NJMP’s outdoor go-karting track! Compete with friends and family to see who can get in the most laps in NJMP’s Sodi gas-powered go-karts.

All guests are welcome to enjoy lunch and dinner at the full-service restaurant and pub, the Finish Line Pub, located right in the center of the facility. Here families can enjoy picnic games like cornhole, horseshoes, and pickleball (bring your own paddle and ball). And when it gets too hot, those with a ticket are eligible for a pool pass to NJMP’s outdoor pool!

Get your tickets now for this thrilling family weekend event at njmp.com!