Christian Horner ‘wanted’ one thing Toto Wolff has at Mercedes but Red Bull never allowed before sacking

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is now the longest-serving team principal in Formula 1 by a long way after Red Bull sacked Christian Horner and placed Laurent Mekies in charge.

Red Bull announced this Wednesday that Horner had been relieved of his command as their F1 CEO and team principal effective immediately after 20 years in charge. Mekies is now just the second team principal the Milton Keynes outfit have had after moving from Racing Bulls.

Horner had steered the ship ever since Red Bull entered F1 back in 2005, having been one of the first names on their shopping list upon buying the ailing Jaguar squad off Ford. But Wolff is now the longest-serving team boss by circa nine years to Andrea Stella and Fred Vasseur.

Wolff replaced Ross Brawn in charge of Mercedes in January 2014, while Stella took over the helm at McLaren and Vasseur took over Ferrari in December 2022. Yet one exit could lead to another, as Ferrari sense a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sign Horner after Red Bull fired him.

Red Bull sacked Christian Horner before he realised his ‘goal’ of becoming a co-owner

Red Bull sacked Horner without telling him why on Tuesday night, with the news then made public on Wednesday after he bid farewell to the factory. He leaves Milton Keynes with Red Bull only fourth in the F1 constructors’ standings on 172 points to Mercedes in third on 210.

READ MORE: All to know on sacked Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with net worth

Horner also leaves Red Bull without achieving his goal of becoming a co-owner in the team, according to Mike Hezemans. The Dutch racing driver believes Horner wanted to become a shareholder in Red Bull Racing, like Wolff is at Mercedes, but he will not earn the chance to.

“That’s why a lot of people have dropped out,” Hezemans has told RacingNews365. “And in Formula 1, you’re only successful with a good group of people.

“I think he also wanted to become a kind of co-owner of the team, something he ultimately didn’t achieve. But I think that was his goal.”

Who owns the Red Bull Racing and Mercedes F1 teams?

Wolff initially bought his way into Mercedes’ F1 team as their managing director and a 30% shareholder in 2013, having previously invested in Williams. He then replaced Brawn as the F1 team principal in 2014 and he also oversees all of Mercedes-Benz’s motorsport activities.

Mercedes even increased Wolff’s ownership of their F1 team to 33% in December 2020 after agreeing to lower the German automotive giant’s 60% stake to an even split as Ineos joined. The Yoovidhya family at 51% and Red Bull GmbH at 49% own the Red Bull Racing F1 Team.

Having the support of Thai majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya was essential to Horner staying at Red Bull for so long. But Red Bull sacked Horner after he lost Yoovidhya’s backing, having already been on uneasy terms with Red Bull GmbH chief Mark Mateschitz for a year.