F1 team principals: Christian Horner out, Briatore in and much more in 2025

The 2025 F1 season is into the final stretch with the final standings in full focus - time to look at who are the team principals for each of the 10 outfits fighting for supremacy. It's life AFTER Christian Horner.

The biggest change of all this year of course came in July with the departure of Horner from his role at Red Bull following a long period of dominance for the Milton Keynes-based team.

While drivers often steal the limelight, it is the team principals who play a crucial role behind the scenes. These sharp minds are the driving force behind their teams' success, making critical decisions and managing various aspects to ensure victory on the track.

Team principals also act as the public face of their teams, representing them in media engagements and meetings - such as those with the FIA governing body.

But that's not all; they also play a crucial role in managing the team's personnel, and it is their job to create a cohesive and motivated team environment, foster teamwork, and extract the best performance from each individual.

Now that you have a general idea of what team principals do, get to know who's in charge of each team in 2025.

READ MORE: F1 2025 Driver Lineup: Big names on the move as half the grid reshuffles for next season

Red Bull Racing - Laurent Mekies

Horner had been the longest-serving team principal on the grid up to his departure/removal from the role in July.

Once the huge headlines had died down, Red Bull wasted no time in promoting the 48-year-old Frenchman from his role at Racing Bulls to the 'big team'.

Mekies has so far had a positive impact on the team with Max Verstappen re-igniting his championship hopes with a terrific run of results since the summer break.

READ MORE: Christian Horner: Red Bull F1 giant and 'Drive to Survive' star

Ferrari - Fred Vasseur

The 57-year-old Frenchman Fred Vasseur is the founder of arguably the most successful junior category team in existence - ART Grand Prix - and is credited with turning around Sauber's fortunes to the point where Audi will join the team in 2026.

Yet the Frenchman was an intriguing acquisition by a Ferrari team desperate for success after a long barren run at Maranello.

Looking outside its own contingent of staff was a rare move by the Scuderia, but it appears the team has bought in to his skills despite questionable results so far.

Recent speculation linking Horner with the role came despite a new contract for Vasseur and Ferrari chief John Elkann publicly backing the Frenchman.

Mercedes - Toto Wolff

Horner's arch rival during that epic Abu Dhabi 2021 fallout, Toto Wolff has been at the helm since 2013 and, in that time, has overseen the most successful period for a team in F1 history.

Eight constructors' titles in a row, accompanied by seven drivers' championships up to 2021, came to an end the following season under F1's new technical regulations, but the Austrian is far from shying away from the fight.

Charismatic but strong when needed, the 53-year-old Austrian has cemented his status as a great of the team principal world.

READ MORE: Toto Wolff: An inspiring journey from early tragedy to F1 greatness

Alpine - Flavio Briatore

The charismatic 75-year-old Italian Flavio Briatore took the helm early in the 2025 season upon the departure of Oliver Oakes in May.

Briatore added the role of de facto team principal to his existing title of Executive Advisor, bringing a wealth of F1 experience to the role.

A long career in the sport - either side of a life ban which was later overturned in court - has seen Briatore mastermind the capture of three Constructors' Championship titles and four Drivers' Championship wins.

The Enstone-based F1 team also welcomed new Managing Director Steve Nielsen to their leadership squad on September 1. The British engineer oversees the day-to-day running of Alpine whilst still reporting to Briatore.

McLaren - Andrea Stella

Andreas Seidl's replacement, despite taking a leap in stature, was a very worthy successor for the team in papaya.

The 54-year-old Italian Andrea Stella has a wealth of experience in F1 - having served as a performance engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari before becoming race engineer to the Finn, as well as Fernando Alonso.

Stella became the team principal at McLaren in December 2022 and has already masterminded back-to-back Constructors' Championship titles. The odds are also now in favour of one of the team's drivers becoming king of the grid in 2025.

Kick Sauber - Jonathan Wheatley

The 58-year-old Englishman Jonathan Wheatley, former Red Bull Sporting Director, was announced as the new team principal of Kick Sauber in the summer of 2024.

Like Adrian Newey - who has now joined Aston Martin - Wheatley had a period of gardening leave to serve before he could start his new role.

Aston Martin - Andy Cowell

After first being announced as the new CEO, it was a few months later when it became known that Cowell would also become the team principal.

The position had previously been held by Mike Krack, who is now Chief Trackside Officer.

Cowell, the 56-year-old from Blackpool in England, will carry huge expectations into 2026 after the big-money signing of Newey, with the team hoping that the acquisition of a design genius and new technical regulations will lead to a bright new era.

Haas - Ayao Komatsu

In a shock move, Haas made a significant change in their leadership structure with the departure of long-time team principal Guenther Steiner and the appointment of Ayao Komatsu as his successor at the start of the 2024 season.

Komatsu has 20 years of F1 experience under his belt and has held different roles with different outfits, including Haas, where he spent seven years as Chief Race Engineer since the team's F1 debut in 2016.

With his extensive two-decade-long engineering background and deep understanding of the team's operations, the 49-year-old Tokyo native seems like the perfect man for the job.

READ MORE: Who is Ayao Komatsu? All you need to know about new Haas F1 boss

Racing Bulls - Alan Permane

The 58-year-old Englishman got the call to replace Laurent Mekies at Racing Bulls when the Frenchman was promoted to replace Horner at Red Bull in July 2025.

It was just reward for a man who has been a key part of the sport since joining Benetton as a test electronics engineer way back in 1989.

Spells at Renault, Lotus and Alpine followed, before Permane ascended to the Racing Bulls throne earlier this year.

Williams - James Vowles

Vowles left his position as Mercedes' strategy director in January 2023, having taken the position vacated by Jost Capito at Williams after a disappointing start to life under F1's new regulations.

So far the signs are good that the 46-year-old from Sussex, England will be able to help return the once mighty team to former glories.

His calm demeanour and leadership skills have helped Williams to fifth in the Constructors' standings heading into the final races of 2025. Absolutely heading in the right direction after a ninth-place finish in 2024.

READ MORE: F1 2025 Driver Lineup: Big names on the move as half the grid reshuffles for next season

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