Zak Brown ‘not surprised’ by Christian Horner’s sacking amid Red Bull turmoil

New Delhi, July 21 McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has broken his silence on the dramatic dismissal of Christian Horner as Red Bull team principal, saying he was “not surprised” by the decision, though the timing caught him off guard.

Horner, who had led Red Bull since their Formula 1 debut in 2005, was officially sacked on July 9, just three days after Max Verstappen finished fifth at the British Grand Prix. The team has not provided a reason for his dismissal, but the exit ends a period of escalating tension and controversy for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Speaking to Canadian broadcaster TSN, Brown said: “I'm maybe [surprised by] the timing, but not the result.

“There’s been a lot of drama there the last couple of years, and it doesn't seem like that drama has been calming down — maybe been getting worse. So I'm not surprised.”

Horner’s departure follows a turbulent 17-month stretch, beginning with allegations from a female employee accusing him of sexual harassment and coercive behaviour. While two internal Red Bull investigations cleared Horner, and he denied all accusations, the episode marked the start of Red Bull’s unravelling.

Key figures have exited in quick succession. Technical genius Adrian Newey, widely regarded as the best designer in F1 history, resigned in April last year and has since joined Aston Martin.

Longtime sporting director Jonathan Wheatley left in July to become team principal of Sauber, and Red Bull’s head of strategy, Will Courtenay, is also expected to join McLaren after serving out his contract.

Performance-wise, Red Bull’s dominance has dipped. Verstappen, who won his fourth straight world title last season, only managed two wins in the final 13 races of 2024. This year, he has just two wins from 12 races, is third in the drivers’ standings, and Red Bull sits fourth in the constructors’ championship.

Speculation is now swirling about Verstappen’s future, with strong links to Mercedes.

Brown’s relationship with Horner has been tense. He accused Red Bull of “cheating” after breaching the budget cap in 2021, and told BBC Sport last year that they "used to get on.”

Though Brown has been less openly critical in 2025, he hasn't hidden his frustration with Red Bull’s behind-the-scenes behaviour. At the Miami Grand Prix, he was seen drinking from a bottle labelled “tyre water” — a cheeky dig at Horner’s allegation that McLaren were using water to illegally cool their tyres.

“It was poking fun at a serious issue,” Brown said. “Teams have historically made allegations against other teams. Most recently, one team has focused on that strategy more than others.

“And I think that there is a proper way to protest a team at the end of a race. You have to make it formal, disclose where it comes from, put some money down.”

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