Sebastian Vettel F1 team principal verdict issued after Christian Horner Red Bull sacking

Vettel, Horner, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Sebastian Vettel

Vettel F1 team principal verdict issued after Horner Red Bull sacking

Sebastian Vettel previously won four F1 championships with Red Bull

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 24 July 2025 21:54

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1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has issued a surprising verdict over Sebastian Vettel's chances of becoming Red Bull's F1 team principal in the future.

The four-time champion enjoyed the most dominant period of his career with the outfit previously run by Christian Horner, claiming four back-to-back drivers' titles between 2010 and 2013.

However, Vettel's Red Bull era stands in stark contrast to the state the Milton Keynes-based squad currently find themselves in, with their decline in performance continuing as reigning champion Max Verstappen continues to lose sight of retaining the title this year.

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Following the British GP last time out, Red Bull made the bombshell announcement that team principal Horner had been sacked with immediate effect, with former Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies replacing him.

Ahead of Mekies' first round at the helm at this weekend's Belgian GP, ex-F1 star Villeneuve has stated the Frenchman deserves time to prove himself, especially considering he has much more experience in a team principal role than former Red Bull man Vettel.

Prior to Horner's axing, the German racer had been named by the team's F1 advisor Helmut Marko as his ideal candidate to replace him once the 82-year-old finally leaves the sport, but making the jump straight to team principal would certainly be a challenge even for Vettel.

Speaking to Vision4Sport, Villeneuve said: "Horner's gone. You don't just take anyone, even a world champion, and suddenly, he's a good team principal. It's a very different attitude. Not everyone is cut out for it. Some are and they can be both. And some can't."

Laurent Mekies has replaced Christian Horner as Red Bull F1 team principal

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Villeneuve continued to urge Red Bull not to sign Vettel as their team principal, instead issuing the hope that Mekies' wealth of experience in the sport puts him in good stead to take over from Horner.

"There is a new team principal who's been doing a good job over the years. So let's wait and see what he does. You don’t just suddenly take a Vettel and put him in the top team there, in a job that he's never done.

"And he was obviously tired of being inside the F1 paddock. And the role of a team principal is non-stop. You work more days than a race car driver.

"Vettel seems to want to be with his family, he wants to be with his bees, he wants to be with a lot of other things. So, I can't imagine him doing a full-time job," the ex-racer concluded.

For now, Villeneuve can rest over his concerns of Vettel's suitability to become an F1 team principal.

The German recently confirmed he had been in contact with Marko regarding a return to the paddock, although only over the possibility of replacing the Austrian at Red Bull potentially years down the line.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Christian Horner Sebastian Vettel