Just like that. After 20 years at the helm of Red Bull Racing.

Since 2005, Horner’s been the team principal of a project that, at first, felt like a novelty. Red Bull? A soft drink brand trying to play with the big boys of F1? But under Horner, the team dominated.

Eight Drivers’ Championships. Six Constructors’. Four titles with Sebastian Vettel. Four more with Max Verstappen. It was a dynasty built in defiance.

And now, it’s over.

The timing, to be blunt, is scandal-scarred and suspiciously neat. After 17 months of turbulence, including sexual harassment allegations (twice dismissed by Red Bull GmbH), an erosion of on-track performance, and the departure of several key personnel, Horner has finally been shown the exit.

“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today,” the statement read. No fanfare. No emotion. Just a line on a press release.

What went wrong?

Some would say the cracks started forming last season. Verstappen managed only two wins in the final 14 races. McLaren surged. Mercedes sharpened its claws. The seemingly untouchable Red Bull looked touchable for once.

The internal harmony, something Verstappen thrives on, had been shattered too. Jos Verstappen warned that Horner’s continued presence would tear the team apart.

And behind the garage doors, the exodus had begun. Adrian Newey, the softly-spoken genius behind many of F1’s greatest cars, walked away. He was tired of politics, of whispers that others were trying to take credit for his brilliance. Tired, especially, of how Horner downplayed his influence in press briefings.

Then came Jonathan Wheatley. Sauber now has him as team principal. And now Will Courtenay, Red Bull’s head of strategy, is off to McLaren. A bleeding of brains, all while the car on track began to look more like a relic.

The new face of Red Bull?

Laurent Mekies will be stepping up. The 48-year-old Frenchman, formerly Ferrari’s racing director, now inherits the circus as Red Bull Racing’s team principal and CEO.

Meanwhile, Alan Permane takes over Racing Bulls. It’s a game of musical chairs, except nobody looks like they’re having fun.

And what of Max Verstappen?

The Dutchman remains the sport’s most lethal weapon (for now), a four-time world champion and a driver who, at his peak, makes the rest of the grid look like they’re driving in reverse. But Max is unsettled. Mercedes are sniffing. The paddock is whispering. His contract says 2028, but contracts, as we all know in F1, are more like polite suggestions.

If Verstappen jumps ship, the entire fabric of Red Bull’s competitiveness could unravel fast. And when the man who built your empire is shown the door, you start to wonder: what else is up for grabs?

Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s corporate chief, offered a parting bouquet: “With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian.”

But there’s an air of caution now. Because Red Bull, once a bastion of stability, suddenly feels adrift. The drinks are still ice-cold. The brand still sizzles. But the team is bleeding leaders. The cars are no longer bulletproof. And the future is murky.

And so we ask: What now for Red Bull Racing? And more importantly, what next for Max?

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Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz delivered a one-two punch for the Scuderia at the United States Grand Prix, leaving the Texan crowd in awe as Lando Norris, despite his best efforts, watched a podium finish slip through his fingers thanks to an untimely penalty.  

Norris, starting from pole, seemed to have it all under control. A side-by-side tango with Max Verstappen nudged him wide, opening the door for Leclerc to slip through. P1 belonged to the Monegasque from that point, and he never looked back.  

Leclerc was in cruise control, unbothered and unchallenged, as he marched to a commanding victory. Behind him, team mate Carlos Sainz executed a textbook undercut during the pit stops to leapfrog Verstappen. The Spaniard showed his mettle, holding second place with a firm grip, finishing 8.5 seconds adrift of Leclerc but comfortably ahead of the Dutchman.

Ferrari, after a season of mixed fortunes, finally seemed to have all their ducks in a row.

As the race neared its crescendo, Norris launched a spirited attack on Verstappen, snatching third place with a daring move. But not without consequence. Red Bull’s radios lit up, insisting Norris had breached track limits. The stewards agreed, slapping the Briton with a five-second time penalty.  

Cue a drop to fourth place, gifting Verstappen a podium spot.

Was it a fair call? Depends on whether you ask Red Bull or McLaren, but Norris won’t be too keen on rewatching the race highlights anytime soon.   

Oscar Piastri quietly secured fifth place, while George Russell, starting from the pit lane, clawed his way to a respectable sixth in his Mercedes. Sergio Perez salvaged seventh for Red Bull, while Nico Hulkenberg reminded everyone why Haas still believes in him, grabbing eighth.

Liam Lawson, fresh off his return to the grid, took ninth for RB, while Franco Colapinto’s P10 finish for Williams was a feather in the cap for the rookie.  

Further down, it was a day to forget for Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly, and Fernando Alonso, who all missed the points. Yuki Tsunoda’s spin relegated him to 14th, while Lance Stroll and Alex Albon’s outings were equally underwhelming.  

The Kick Saubers of Bottas and Zhou still struggled in the wilderness, while Esteban Ocon nabbed the fastest lap, stealing a point from Williams’ Colapinto.  

Lewis Hamilton’s race ended prematurely, the Brit spinning out and beaching his Mercedes in the gravel. What a United States grand prix.

“Very happy,” Leclerc said post-race, grinning ear to ear. “It hasn’t been an easy weekend. I struggled a bit with the car, but in the race, it just came together. Yesterday’s Sprint had us a little worried, but today we delivered. A one-two for Ferrari – what more could we ask for?”  

Photo Credits: Formula One Content Pool

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In a race where he controlled proceedings from start to finish, Norris crossed the line a full 20 seconds ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen, tightening the title race and reducing Verstappen’s points cushion.

For those familiar with Norris’s past struggles from the front, his flawless start came as a pleasant surprise. He slotted neatly ahead of Verstappen at Turn 1, immediately setting the tone for the race. From there, it was almost as if Norris had an extra gear. In the end, it was smooth sailing for the McLaren driver.

Verstappen, with no answer to Norris’s pace, had to be content with second place. Oscar Piastri, who started fifth, fought his way to third, ensuring a double podium for McLaren.

This, combined with a lacklustre finish for Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, meant McLaren extended their lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ standings.

Piastri’s strategy was one of patience. He stayed out longer than most during the first stint, and when he finally switched to fresher tyres, he made quick work of Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc attempted a similar strategy, passing Hamilton easily in the closing laps but falling short of catching Russell, leaving Leclerc in a Silver Arrows sandwich by the end of the race.

Carlos Sainz, after a qualifying mishap, managed to salvage seventh place, while Fernando Alonso brought home valuable points for Aston Martin in eighth.

Nico Hulkenberg delivered a solid performance for Haas, finishing ninth. Perez, after being knocked out in the second qualifying phase, rounded out the top 10.

Further down the order, Franco Colapinto continued to impress with his drive to P11, just shy of the points and hot on the heels of Perez. He was followed by Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon, while Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin crossed the line in 14th.

The Kick Sauber duo of Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas found themselves in 15th and 16th, with Pierre Gasly in the other Alpine and a struggling Daniel Ricciardo, who set the fastest lap after a late pit stop, finishing behind them.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Williams, as Alex Albon lost several positions at the start after a tussle with teammate Colapinto and later retired due to overheating issues. Kevin Magnussen’s Haas also didn’t make it to the chequered flag, suffering a puncture late in the race.

Lando Norris was visibly elated, celebrating with clenched fists as he brought his car into parc fermé. His win slashed Verstappen’s title lead from 59 to 52 points, while McLaren leaves Singapore with a healthy 41-point lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ battle.

Marina Bay, it seems, has reignited the title race in spectacular fashion.

Photo Credits: Formula 1 Content Pool

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Red Bull recently scrapped their plans for a fan-designed livery at the Singapore and US Grand Prix, citing concerns about the added weight.

But McLaren has swooped in to unveil their own one-off paint job for this weekend’s race, with a design that harks back to their iconic red and white Marlboro-liveried glory days of the 70s and 80s.

Unlike Red Bull’s cancelled designs, McLaren’s new look is more of a colour swap than an addition of weight.

The refreshed look is part of McLaren’s ongoing “Legend’s Reborn” campaign, which kicked off earlier this year in Monaco with a green-and-yellow Senna-inspired livery. This time, McLaren pays homage to its historic rise to F1 dominance, plastering the names of 13 legendary drivers, including the late Ayrton Senna, around the cockpit area of the car.

For F1 fans, it’s a nod to McLaren’s early days, from Emerson Fittipaldi’s championship-winning M23 in 1974 to Mika Hakkinen’s reign in the ‘90s. That era’s red and white livery reached its zenith with the MP4 series, but after a brief stint in black, McLaren reintroduced papaya orange in 2017.

Now, while the design may feel like a tribute to the past, there’s a modern twist in the form of McLaren’s partnership with OKX, a cryptocurrency exchange. McLaren’s Chief Marketing Officer, Louise McEwen, added, “Following this year’s Senna campaign, this livery further embodies our partnership with OKX as we continue to deliver unique storytelling campaigns for McLaren fans and OKX customers globally.” 

It’s hard not to notice the irony here; where once tobacco sponsorship dominated F1’s liveries, today it’s cryptocurrency exchanges stepping into the spotlight. 

McLaren’s MCL38, now decked out in its striking white and orange, will have to do more than just look good this weekend. With Lando Norris trailing championship leader Max Verstappen by 59 points, the British driver has a mountain to climb if he hopes to make a dent in that gap. 

Fortunately, the high-downforce, high-temperature conditions of the Marina Bay street circuit are expected to play to McLaren’s strengths.

Photo Credits: Formula 1 Content Pool

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The REBL CUSTMS campaign, meant to celebrate the team’s 20-year journey in Formula 1, had promised fans the opportunity to see their custom design grace the Red Bull RB20 on race day.

At first glance, the campaign seemed like a dream come true for F1 enthusiasts. Fans were invited to join Red Bull’s ‘Paddock’ fan community, submit their livery designs, and stand a chance to win a package that included flights, accommodation, race tickets, and their design on the race car itself.

The competition, which ran from 30 May to 19 June, garnered considerable excitement as five designs made it to the final voting stage.

But then came the rub: paint. In Formula 1, every gram counts. Added paint means added weight, and added weight means lost time on track. As the team explained in their newsletter ahead of this weekend’s race, it’s a compromise they simply weren’t willing to make.

“Unfortunately, when we came to the testing phase of what some REBL CUSTMS designs could look like on the RB20, we found the paint used to create these bespoke, full-car takeover liveries added unforeseen and undue weight to the bodywork of the RB20. As you can imagine, any additional weight compromises performance, and the team is prioritising making this car as competitive as possible for the remainder of the 2024 season.”

The weight issue isn’t new in F1, and it’s been a growing trend for teams to strip away as much paint as possible in favor of exposed carbon fibre. Back in February, when the liveries for this season were unveiled, Aston Martin, Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari were all quick to embrace the “less is more” philosophy, literally. If the paint wasn’t needed for sponsor logos or TV visibility, it was axed.

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Red Bull’s REBL CUSTMS campaign. The first winner’s design, by Thai fan Chalaj Suvanish, debuted at the British Grand Prix. Suvanish was understandably thrilled, sharing, “I can’t quite believe it; not only do I get to attend an F1 race, I get to see the car I customised on track!”

Though Red Bull has decided to pull the plug on more F1 car liveries, the silver lining is that the winning fan designs will now appear on the team’s F1 Academy cars. Hamda Al Qubaisi, one of the academy drivers, will be driving with a fan-designed livery from Uruguayan artist Caroline Stock, inspired by Red Bull’s 2015 testing colours.

Photo Credits: Formula 1 Content Pool

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