F1 legend Lewis Hamilton delivers Christian Horner SNUB as Ferrari rumours swirl

Lewis Hamilton, Fred Vasseur and Christian Horner face the camera expressionless with their arms by their side — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Lewis Hamilton delivers Christian Horner SNUB as Ferrari rumours swirl

Christian Horner was sacked by Red Bull earlier this month

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 29 July 2025 12:58 Updated: 20:05

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Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has revealed he has been staying well away from the big story that's got everybody talking in the paddock; the sacking of Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

The Brit was axed from his role earlier this month after over 20 years as Red Bull team principal, where he oversaw 14 title victories.

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Red Bull opted to instead replace him with former Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies, amid poor performances at the main team over the last 18 months that have seen Red Bull fall from the dominant team on the grid to fourth in the constructors' championship.

While Red Bull will now be hoping to rebuild and prove to star driver Max Verstappen they can still provide him with a car capable of challenging of world championships, Horner's future looks less clear.

Rumours have linked the 51-year-old with moves to both Alpine and Ferrari, with the Maranello outfit's team principal Fred Vasseur set to be out of contract at the end of 2025.

Both Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc have backed Vasseur despite Ferrari's struggles, but his position within the team for 2026 has not yet been confirmed.

When asked about Horner's axing from Red Bull at last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Hamilton suggested he does not keep track of news regarding other teams and drivers, and instead enjoyed 'minding his business' during the mini break in the F1 calendar ahead of Spa.

Christian Horner has been replaced by Laurent Mekies at Red Bull

"When I’m away from the race weekends, I don’t really pay attention to anything that’s going on in Formula 1 other than what’s happening within our team," Hamilton told media in Belgium.

"So, I was neither surprised or not surprised," he admitted when asked about Horner's sacking.

"I was just minding my own business and, of course, I think when you change CEO or someone that’s running an organisation, they come with their own formula and more often than not, make changes. So that’s inevitable - but that takes time," the champion concluded.

Why was Horner axed from Red Bull?

Red Bull's 2025 season to date has been disastrous, with Yuki Tsunoda only managing to score seven points in his RB21 across 11 race weekends.

Even the supremely talented four-time world champion Verstappen has only managed to claim two grand prix wins in the car, but after a surprise resurgence at Spa saw him claim victory in the sprint, a glimmer of hope has re-emerged at Red Bull for the Dutchman's hopes of retaining the drivers' title.

Regardless of his success last weekend, the poor run of results for Red Bull this season has also caused rumours regarding Verstappen's position within the team, with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirming talks had taken place between the Silver Arrows and Verstappen's team about a potential transfer.

Verstappen has constantly reiterated that as long as Red Bull can provide him with a good car, he is happy to stay there for the rest of his career, but Red Bull's sacking of Horner may just be a last-ditch attempt to try and freshen things up and convince Verstappen to see out his contract, which is due to end in 2028.

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Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Christian Horner Charles Leclerc