Red Bull warned of “difficult period” after Christian Horner exit: “Very precarious position”

Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert has warned that Red Bull will face a “really difficult period” following Christian Horner’s exit from his role as team principal and CEO.

Red Bull announced on Wednesday that Horner had been replaced by Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies with immediate effect.

Herbert believes the exit of Horner and other big names over the last two years, including Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, has left the Milton Keynes outfit in a “precarious position.” The former driver also claimed that four-time champion Max Verstappen will “probably end up” at Mercedes.

“Well, I think it’s not a surprise, I don’t think anybody should be surprised,” Herbert explained to RacingNews365.

“It was something that when it first kicked off, I remember the Ford Motor Company weren’t exactly very happy with the rumours that were going about at that present time. He’s hung on for a good period of time, but I think it was something that was never going to go away.

“And when it doesn’t go away, it’s never a good thing to have that sort of thing hanging around your neck. But there’s also, is it anything to do with Max? Because, obviously, Jos was very vocal, and not wanting Christian about. Potentially, I suppose it could be that.  

“It sounds very much so, that the Mercedes thing is where he’s probably going to end up. So, it’s probably not a surprise everything with Christian anyway.”

Johnny Herbert, FIA steward

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff confirmed that he was in talks with Verstappen, leaving the 2026 contracts of current drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli up in the air. Wolff previously stated that he thought the probability of the Dutchman joining the Brackley squad for 2026 was low, but did not rule it out for the future.

Herbert continued, “Now, it’s going to be a really difficult period for them [Red Bull], because obviously, with all the changes, with Jonathan [Wheatley] and Adrian [Newey] and a few other people, and of course, with Christian as well.

“It’s in a very precarious position at the moment, because, like anything in Formula 1, you’ve got to be able to have the right ingredients, which includes personnel, direction, and that’s all been slowly, sort of eroded away.”

Herbert also touched on the performance struggles that Red Bull has faced this season. At the halfway point, the team sits fourth in the constructors’ standings, 288 points behind leaders McLaren.

“And then you’ve got the performances on the track at the end of the day, and a probably not so happy Max, definitely not a happy Jos, but it’s probably not a happy Max,” he continued.

“Because Max, as you know, wants to be in a situation of winning races and a world championship, and that sort of, again, slowly, sort of eroded away over the last, what, year and a half, I guess.”