‘That is, the situation is being reversed’
“We hope that this turbulence will end soon”. As Helmut Marko at the beginning of the season it was hoped that Red Bull could quickly turn the page in an internal war that continues to have aftershocks after the earthquake – i.e. the end of the Horner era – did not materialize with the confirmation of the strong team principal’s support of the company’s Thai ownership.
Adrian Newey’s departure to other shores starting from the first quarter of 2025 could be just the first of other excellent exits from Red Bull, given that the sporting director also Jonathan Wheatley – who was the designated replacement for Christian Horner if the latter’s dismissal was successful – would still like to realize his desire to become team principal by going elsewhere (a dynamic similar to that which saw James Vowles leave Mercedes because ‘ closed by Toto Wolff).
Furthermore, in Miami, the words of the CEO of the Austrian part of Red Bull, Oliver Mintzlaff, who suddenly praised Christian Horner, did not go unnoticed. “Whether we can still succeed with him? I am sure. He only thinks about winning with the team and is an excellent CEO.” A U-turn by Mintzlaff given that in the winter he had the dismissal letter ready for Horner only to then ‘concede’ the internal investigation which then exonerated the team principal (investigation conducted by a lawyer who later turned out to be that of Yoovidhya family trust). According to what was reported by F1-insider.com, this change of direction by Mintzlaff towards Horner would not have been accidental given that if he had not expressed his support for Horner it would have been Minztlaff himself who would have risked his job.
