- 09 Ιούλ 2025, 21:29
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| Senior Red Bull staff members stood down from duties after Christian Horner exit:
— Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull has triggered further changes among the team’s senior staff, with two key figures also stepping back. According to sources Paul Smith and Oliver Hughes have been placed on gardening leave.
— Smith, Red Bull’s Group Director of Communications, and Hughes, the Chief Marketing Officer, are believed to be closely aligned with Horner. Both were stood down shortly after Horner’s farewell visit to the Milton Keynes campus.
— Gardening leave is commonly used in F1 to protect sensitive data during transitional exits. Both men remain on full pay but are no longer active in their roles ahead of their expected departures.
— Smith frequently accompanied Horner during race weekends, assisting with media responsibilities. Hughes has overseen Red Bull’s global marketing strategy. Successors for either role have not yet been confirmed by Red Bull GmbH.
— Horner’s CEO duties have been handed to Laurent Mekies, formerly of Racing Bulls. It remains unclear if Mekies will also assume the title of team principal or if an additional appointment will follow.
— Red Bull has not disclosed any reason behind Horner’s release, and Horner himself has yet to speak publicly. Martin Brundle, who spoke with him after the news broke, shared Horner’s private reaction:
“It’s completely out of the blue, given things that are going on and the sort of problems in the team, words were getting out of team Verstappen and others.”
“I’m quite sad about it, if I’m honest. I consider Christian a friend, and he’s done an incredible job there for 20 years.”
“But, it’s not been difficult to feel in the Formula 1 paddock, and to observe and to hear that things were not particularly rosy.”
“I believe it’s probably performance-related as well. I think perhaps it makes it more likely that the Verstappens will stay there.”
“So, I’m due to speak to Christian a bit later in the day. I’ve put a message through to him to say, sorry to read that out.”
“What he did say to me was no reason was given to him as to why he’s been released.”
#redbullracing
VIA: [PLANET F1]
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