F 1 is still reeling from the news that Red Bull have sacked Christian Horner, with the team experiencing their first ever race weekend free of his immediate influence at the Belgian Grand Prix. The team made the stunning decision earlier this month, leaving the kind of leadership void the organization has never heretofore experienced.

While the reason for Horner's ousting has not been revealed, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has pointed out that performance concerns led to his exit, and that the decision was taken by the managing director of Red Bull GmbH, Oliver Mintzlaff. Newsweek Sports reported his comments:

Heading into the Belgian GP, Red Bull is 288 points behind Constructors' Championship leader McLaren, and Verstappen's dreams of scoring a fifth successive Drivers' Championship crown are hanging by a thread. With a critical regulation change incoming for the 2026 season, Red Bull's status as an F1 powerhouse is under significant threat.