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Red Bull's unmasking: Why a farewell to Horner makes sense
- Ludo van Denderen
On Dutch soil, with a hundred thousand Dutch fans in the packed stands, Red Bull Racing's complete unmasking took place. Max Verstappen lost victory to Lando Norris by over 22 seconds at Zandvoort, which once was a happy hunting ground for the Dutchman. Not for the first time did Verstappen receive proof that his Austrian team had completely lost its way. For that, one man is ultimately responsible: Christian Horner.
Christian Horner presents himself as a true gentleman with neat British English, nice full sentences, never attacking his team in the press. Yet, there is something that makes him internally struggle to have everyone follow the same direction. Is it because after all Red Bull's successes in recent years, his staff have come to believe they know better, and cracks have formed? Or has Horner's magic simply worn off, and people within Red Bull are yearning for a breath of fresh air?
Cracks in the bastion of Red Bull Racing
In any case, since Horner was accused of transgressive behaviour, cracks have appeared in the Red Bull bastion, cracks that have now become substantial. Coincidence or not, Horner has not managed to get everyone back following one direction in the meantime. Adrian Newey left - partly because he was annoyed by Horner's handling of the allegations - and recently, team manager Jonathan Wheatley also announced he is leaving for Audi. Despite everything, the one who stays is Christian Horner.
Meanwhile, the team boss had been warned several times by Max Verstappen that the development of the RB20 was going in completely the wrong direction. The three-time world champion never felt his objections were taken seriously. After all, the counter-argument is that Red Bull has stayed at the top of the drivers' and constructors' title race. And yes, updates did come. But by now, the conclusion may be drawn that they hardly contributed anything to the RB20's speed. Indeed, for the Dutch Grand Prix, Red Bull used older specifications.
Verstappen squeezes everything out of the RB20
The race last weekend at Zandvoort followed the absolute low point for Red Bull. No one will doubt the qualities of Max Verstappen; he is the very best driver on the current F1 grid, someone who knows how to squeeze more than the maximum out of his car. And it was the same Max Verstappen who finished 22 seconds behind Lando Norris. Both world titles in '24 are in serious danger for Red Bull and Max Verstappen with this form. And improvement in the short term? The Verstappen camp is not counting on it.
As unfair as it may seem (or be) in some cases, once a chief executive in a top sport fails to perform, he often has to step down. How many coaches in football themselves felt they could turn the tide but still stayed 'for the good of the club'? In Formula 1, too, there are numerous examples of team bosses (Alpine and Ferrari, for instance) who were sent away as soon as the performance was no longer as expected by the team's highest bosses. Annoying for those people? Absolutely. Necessary? Mostly so.
It's time for a restart at Red Bull
Of course, at the moment, Red Bull Racing leads both championships, but that's not going to be the case for much longer in the current manner. To govern is also to look ahead: Especially in absolute top sport, you have to dare to make rigorous decisions. The real chance is that the departure of Horner for Red Bull Racing this season will come all too late, but at least then, a new, fresh restart can take place. With a new person at the helm, someone with new insights, someone in whom Verstappen does have confidence.
Now, it remains to be seen whether Red Bull's Thai owner - with whom Horner has an excellent relationship - feels the same way.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
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