The sudden firing of Christian Horner from his role as Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO has resulted in countless explanations and theories.
Gerhard Berger has entered the ring with his own theory that Horner’s sacking has to do with the team’s hope of retaining Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
Gerhard Berger’s Christian Horner sack theory
What happened to Christian Horner?
Formula 1 fans and pundits have been trying to find the answer to this complex question since news emerged last week that the Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO had been sacked with immediate effect after 202 years in charge of the Austrian team.
Under Horner’s watch, the team has taken 124 race victories in 405 starts, with six constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ championships. However, the Milton Keynes-based operation has begun to slip down the standings.
Though Verstappen took his fourth consecutive championship in 2024, second driver Sergio Perez struggled with a difficult car, leaving the team to finish third overall in the Constructors’ Championship.
Now, in 2025, Verstappen has lost his footing with the tetchy RB21; he sits third in the drivers’ standings, with the team fourth 0f 10 in the constructors’ standings.
Understanding the Christian Horner sacking:
👉 Why has Christian Horner been sacked by Red Bull?
👉 The hidden details in Christian Horner’s final media session as Red Bull F1 boss
It’s no surprise, then, that many have linked Verstappen with Mercedes in a potential bombshell team swap.
Though the Dutchman is contracted to Red Bull Racing through 2028, it is understood there are performance clauses in his contract that could facilitate a move as early as 2026. And while McLaren and Ferrari have committed to their driver line-ups for the coming years, Mercedes has yet to renew contracts for 2025 drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli beyond the close of this season.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has been clear that he’d like to sign Verstappen to his team.
For former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger, it’s the threat of Verstappen’s defection “that could certainly have been one of the factors that tipped the scales.”
In a conversation with Krone Zeitung, Berger continued, “As we know, the Verstappens and Horner were not the best of friends. I do think Max will stay at Red Bull.”
That said, Berger admitted that he wasn’t shocked by the timing of Horner’s sudden sacking.
“You could see it was going this way at Red Bull Racing,” he said.
“If Horner was really surprised, that’s a bad sign, because even as an outsider you could have guessed it.”
Accelerated rumours of a Verstappen-to-Mercedes move was very likely the tipping point for Red Bull Racing, per Berger.
That being said, the former driver isn’t exactly expecting miracles this year; it’ll be difficult for new boss Laurent Mekies to both integrate into the team and bring it back to championship-battling form.
“It’s much more about stabilising the whole team at the moment and getting Max Verstappen back into it properly,” Berger explained.
“Red Bull Racing is currently in a downward spiral. Now the goal should be to rebuild the team properly.”
Read next: Max Verstappen set out key Mercedes requirement in Toto Wolff talks
