Robert Doornbos believes there’s more than just a dip in form behind Red Bull’s reason for sacking team principal Christian Horner.
Red Bull sent shockwaves through the F1 paddock on Wednesday as the team announced Horner had been sacked with immediate effect and replaced by now-former Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies.
Why was Christian Horner sacked by Red Bull?
The announcement brought an end to Horner’s two decades in charge of the Milton Keynes squad, during which he led the team to six Constructors’ titles and eight Drivers’ crowns.
However, in the last two years, its stranglehold on Formula 1 has loosened with McLaren claiming last year’s Constructors’ title, while this year, the Woking squad is on course for the double, even the one-two in the Drivers’ standings.
But that’s just the latest blow in a growing list for Milton Keynes squad.
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Last year, its early-season success was overshadowed by an investigation into Horner’s alleged behaviour towards a staff member. While he was cleared of wrongdoing, it caused a divide within the team as Jos Verstappen repeatedly called for Horner to step down before design legend Adrian Newey announced his exit from the team as the furore continued.
As Red Bull’s on-track form took a hit, the team struggled to get both cars into the points resulting in Sergio Perez receiving his marching papers only for his replacement, Liam Lawson, to last all of two races.
He was demoted back to Racing Bulls with Yuki Tsunoda climbing into the second RB21. But with just seven points in 10 races, and onto its third driver in less than a year, criticism of Red Bull has increased. So too did the pressure on Horner.
He was told his fate just 12 hours before he spoke with Red Bull personnel in Milton Keynes on Wednesday morning, telling them he was “shocked” by his axing.
Red Bull reportedly did not give him a reason, but Doornbos believes it was a multifaceted decision.
“Red Bull has converted this team into a powerhouse,” he told Ziggo Sport. “To then be dismissed like that, there’s clearly more going on than just a dip in form.
“A lot has happened in the past eighteen months. You have the incident with the transgressive behaviour.
“In addition, wrong driver choices have been made. In June 2024, they extended Sergio Pérez, and in December they fired him and gave him another two years’ salary. They called up Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson. They both failed. Yuki Tsunoda doesn’t make anything of it either.
“All in all, that has been a death blow for Horner.”
Adamant, and not for the first time, that Max Verstappen is also on the verge of leaving the team as rumours continue to link him to Mercedes, Doornbos believes Red Bull is about to experience a world of hurt on the F1 race track.
“The Austrians are done with,” he added, “because the top staff has left. Rob Marshall, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, and Christian Horner.”
“The next one will be Max Verstappen himself. I’ve been saying that for years.
“No one is bigger than the team, but if five key figures from the successful period leave, you don’t just replace them.
“These are not the least names that have left. This is a whole Formula 1 team, which has crumbled.”
The Dutchman, however, has ruled out Red Bull quitting Formula 1 in the midst of the turmoil as it has at times been rumoured to be considering.
“They will definitely stay in the sport,” he said. “They know how to maximise the marketing activities like no other. Competing for the World title, with a new power unit from Red Bull Powertrains and Ford, is not something you do overnight.”
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