It was a turbulent year for Red Bull Racing, with both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko leaving the F1 team. In an exclusive interview with Dutch newspaper “De Telegraaf” Red Bull sporting project director Oliver Mintzlaff looks back at 2025, a year where he needed to make some tough decisions.
Mintzlaff more present at Red Bull Racing in “crazy” 2025
“Well, it was a crazy year,” Mitzlaff summarised 2025. “The first half of the season was simply not good and below our expectations. Although I have to say, we didn’t finish well last year either.
“Max did win the championship then, but you could already see we were struggling. But after the changes we made, I’m very satisfied with the second half of the season.”
Especially after F1 Dutch GP the situation was bleak, for Red Bull standards, as Max Verstappen trailed the championship leader Oscar Piastri by 104 points.
“If I had told you after the race in Zandvoort -at the end of August- that we would be in contention for the title until the end, you would have laughed in my face. But I think the entire team can be incredibly proud of how we finished the season.”
The relatively poor F1 form starting in the last half of 2024 prompted the former RB Leipzig CEO to be more present and visible at the races in 2025.
“But that doesn’t mean I want to control everything,” he explained. “I’m not an expert in Formula 1. I like to give everyone space. It’s up to me to hire the right people and then let them play to their strengths. You’re right that I was present more often, during and after the summer, and I wanted to be there in a supporting role.”
Mekies delivered as Horner replacement
Mintzlaff’s first major action in 2025 was to release long-time Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner. A slew of incidents surrounded the Briton, and with the focus fading from on-track to off-track, Mintzlaff decided Laurent Mekies was ready to lead the big team.
“If we look purely at the racing, Laurent Mekies is the boss,” Mintzlaff praises him. ” We hired him at Red Bull, put our trust in him, and he delivered. He managed to get the team behind him in a short time and built a great relationship with the drivers, especially with Max. Mutual communication is more streamlined.
“And it wasn’t easy for Laurent to take over mid-season from Christian Horner, who had been the team principal for over twenty years.”
Asked whether the quick turnaround in results backed the decision, Mintzlaff replied he didn’t view it as a risk.
“I wouldn’t call it a risk, because we were 100% behind this measure. Because we knew we had to do something. I’m not a so-called hire-and-fire manager, someone who fires people without reason. Christian has a fantastic track record with the team and achieved a great deal of success. Everyone here in the company, including myself, appreciates him for what he’s done.
“But this is also part of a professional organisation. You can’t keep relying on history, and we felt it was time to turn the page and start a new chapter. That wasn’t an easy decision, but we didn’t make it overnight either.”
Horner and Marko long tenure “unique” for major sports organisation
After the 2025 F1 season was concluded, the other Red Bull Racing giant Helmut Marko was let go by Mintzlaff. The Austrian talent scout, known for his no-nonsense quotes, delivered yet again by throwing his former companion Horner in front of the bus.
“Those words about Christian are Helmut’s own,” Mintzlaff reacted. “I can’t say anything negative about Christian. Simply because he meant a lot to Red Bull.
“But there always comes a time when things aren’t going well, and then, as a company, you have to make a decision. Are you going to give someone more time, or is it time for a new leader? We felt it was time for a change.”
That change included saying goodbye to Marko. Mintzlaff didn’t agree with the things he said in his public exit interview, but felt that both Marko and Horner have been extremely important for the F1 success of Red Bull Racing over the years.
“I disagree with Helmut’s statements. Yes, it’s logical that things change within an organisation. Perhaps Dr. Marko has also changed over the years. I think it’s quite normal that not everything is the same as it was five years ago.
“Christian and Helmut have worked together wonderfully for years, since the start in 2005. So we’re talking about more than twenty years.
“Can you show me a few examples of other major sports organisations where the leadership team has remained the same for so long? So you could look at it very negatively that they’ve both left now.
“But I would say it’s unique that they’ve been here together for so long and have achieved so much. Sometimes you just need a change to shake things up.”
Mintzlaff tells fans not to worry
While the final months of 2025 proved that Mintzlaff’s interventions at Red Bull Racing were the right ones, fans are concerned about the future of the team. Mintzlaff immediately rebutted that notion.
“Do you still think they’re concerned, after the good performances of the last few months?
“I’m not worried. Because I know we’re replacing all those people properly. In Germany and Austria, and perhaps in the Netherlands as well, I see that people generally don’t like change. But I do like it. Because I know it makes us better.
“And yes, then you just have to step out of your comfort zone for a bit. I’m really not going to change anything if I think everything is going well.”
Change eventually came after Horner and Marko were unable to turn around the poor 2024 F1 form at the start of this year.
“Last year we already saw that things were going a little bit in the wrong direction,” Mintzlaff explained. ” Then you give the people in charge the chance to turn things around this year. I’m not going to suddenly crack down after two or three bad races. But last July was the moment to do what we did.”
