Red Bull Racing’s Desperate Move

It’s looking like an utter disaster over in the Red Bull Racing garage, with rumours of 4-time world champion Max Verstappen reportedly planning on jumping Red Bulls sinking ship and joining another team, specifically Mercedes for the 2026 season. In a move that reeks of desperation Red Bull Racing has suddenly sacked CEO and team principal, Christian Horner. After a 20-year long relationship with multiple drivers and constructors’ championships won. Red Bull announced the split in a post on Instagram thanking Horner for his work over the last 2 decades but the WHY is still up in the air leaving some serious room for speculation.

This parting may seem somewhat sudden, but this outcome has been a long time coming. Let’s rewind back to the start of the 2024 season when Horner landed himself in hot water when allegations of sexual misconduct towards a female employee surfaced. Although denied by him an anonymous source leaked entire text threads to the F1 paddock. Horner barley made it out of that scandal with his dignity yet alone his job, it then became clear people wanted him gone from the team.

If you ask me, the mix of Horner’s reputation ruining scandal in 2024, combined with the inability from Red Bull to deliver Verstappen a championship car in 2025, plus the poor performance clause in his contract that would allow him to depart the team under such circumstances.  It’s obvious that Red Bull is in panic mode and this move was a dire last effort to keep Verstappen. The current noise is impacting and disrupting the team as displayed in their 2025 results. It’s time for Verstappen to think about his driving career as hopes of a 5^th championship title continue to fade away while at Red Bull.

Behind the scenes Toto Wolff, Team principal and CEO of Mercedes has jumped at the possibility of Verstappen leaving, whispers of early contract negotiations between the two are in full swing.

There’s no question that Verstappen is one of the best to do it and as Verstappen’s hopes of a 5^th championship title continue to slip away with Red Bull, in my eyes the only way he will get back to being a championship contender is with another highly competitive team like Mercedes. I like many of us are hoping we will be seeing Verstappen in a Mercedes racing suit for the 2026 season.