Nigel Mansell warns Red Bull faces “struggle” in F1 2025 after Christian Horner’s exit

Nigel Mansell believes Red Bull could face a tough road ahead in the remainder of the 2025 Formula 1 season following the shock departure of long-time team principal Christian Horner.

Earlier this week, Red Bull announced that Horner had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect, with Laurent Mekies stepping in as team principal and CEO.

The move comes amid a difficult start to the year for Red Bull, with the team sitting in fourth in the constructors’ standings just before the halfway mark of the season. While Max Verstappen has won two races so far, his chances of securing a fifth consecutive drivers’ title are all but over.

Although 1992 world champion Mansell refrained from commenting on the reasons behind Horner losing his job, he warned that Red Bull is likely to feel the impact of the change for the rest of the campaign.

“To do this midseason, whatever the reasons are, it's not helpful for the team,” Mansell told AceOdds. “The team will miss him, there will be a transitional period. It will be a struggle for Red Bull to be as competitive as they would've wanted to be for 2025 now.

“It's very difficult to pass a comment on the inner workings of any team when you don't know the facts. All I'd say is motor racing is difficult enough without having these challenges come along at the time they have. Any team would have a huge challenge."

Horner had been a central figure in Red Bull’s F1 project since its inception in 2005, guiding the Milton Keynes-based outfit to six drivers’ championships and eight constructors’ titles.

However, he came under intense scrutiny in the lead-up to the 2024 season after a female employee accused him of misconduct. Horner was later cleared following an independent investigation, but the saga caused major tensions within Red Bull and threatened to tear the team apart.

Mansell said he was stunned by Horner’s sudden dismissal and credited the 51-year-old for his role in Red Bull's success in F1.

“I think just like the racing fans, I didn't know what Red Bull were doing, so it came as quite a shock and surprise,” he said.

“I was with Red Bull and I spoke to Christian last weekend and there was no inference, no problems or anything. A bit of shock and a bit of horror really.

“No one really has the facts and it would not be professional of me to try and make an opinion, but all I can say is the magnificent job Christian Horner has done for 20 years is a testament to his skill and his dedication to the sport. That shouldn't be forgotten.”