Johnny Herbert: Red Bull Faces Difficult Period After Christian Horner’s Departure

According to RacingNews365, former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert shared his perspective on Red Bull Racing’s future — which now faces a challenging period following the team’s leadership change.

Red Bull announced Christian Horner’s resignation from his CEO and team principal positions, with Racing Bulls’ Laurent Mekies appointed as his replacement. This change coincides with the departure of several key team figures including Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley over the past two years.

“It’s going to be a really difficult period for them, because of all these changes. Red Bull is in a precarious position now, because in Formula 1 you need to have all the right ingredients — including personnel and clear direction,” Herbert stated.

The situation is further complicated by talks between Max Verstappen and Mercedes team. Toto Wolff as Mercedes chief has confirmed negotiations with the four-time world champion for the 2026 season.

Red Bull currently holds fourth place in the constructors’ standings — trailing McLaren leaders by 288 points. Herbert highlighted that this performance decline could impact Verstappen’s future with the team.