McLaren F1 chief Zak Brown shares Christian Horner 'shame' after Red Bull exit

Zak Brown and Christian Horner — Photo: © IMAGO

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McLaren chief Zak Brown shares Christian Horner 'shame' after F1 exit

Horner was axed as Red Bull team principal earlier this month

Kevin McKenna

Wednesday 30 July 2025 09:57

McLaren boss Zak Brown has admitted he felt it was ' a shame' to see his former rival Christian Horner recently bow out of F1.

Horner was sensationally axed from his position as Red Bull team principal just days after the British Grand Prix earlier this month, abruptly ending a historic two-decade spell in charge.

The 51-year-old released a statement on social media following his departure, but has opted to stay out of the spotlight in recent weeks as he enjoys time with his family following the major reshuffle.

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Brown believes Horner's replacement Laurent Mekies will do a good job having made the step up from Racing Bulls, but revealed he was sad to see Horner leave in the manner he did.

Speaking to media in Spa last weekend, Brown said: "Competition makes you stronger, so from that sense, they keep you on your toes.

"I think Laurent is very good. The sport moves on quickly, so it probably won’t be something that we’re talking about come Monday.

"It’s a great racing team, so we’ve got to pay attention. Even the worst team in Formula 1 right now is really good, so I think all this competition makes you better.

"He had fantastic results. It’s a shame to kind of go out the way he did."

Christian Horner and Zak Brown were fierce rivals prior to the Brit's sacking

McLaren capitalise on Red Bull struggles

It has been a tricky period for Red Bull over the past couple of seasons, both on and off the track, prompting Brown to previously state that while he was 'surprised' by the timing, Horner's exit had perhaps been on the cards for a while.

The change in leadership came amid what has been a frustrating campaign for the Milton Keynes-based squad, who are facing up to the prospect of ending a year without a world title for the first time since 2020.

Their decline has been magnified by the stellar performances of Brown's papaya driver duo, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

The pair are separated by just 16 points in the drivers' championship following a sixth one-two finish of the season in Belgium, where even a win for Verstappen in Saturday's sprint couldn't improve his current third-place status in the drivers' standings.

In the constructors' championship, McLaren are miles ahead of Red Bull who sit down in P4 ahead of Round 14 in Hungary this week, with Brown's F1 team over 250 points clear of closest challengers Ferrari.

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