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McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes F1 is healthier after Christian Horner’s exit as Red Bull team principal. Brown welcomed Laurent Mekies, hoping for a more constructive atmosphere.
Christian Horner and Zak Brown at a conference during the 2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing (X)
Formula One is in a better place following Christian Horner’s exit as Red Bull team principal, according to McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
Speaking after Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Brown welcomed Horner’s replacement, Laurent Mekies, and expressed optimism that the change would usher in a more constructive atmosphere across the paddock.
“I just left having a chat with Laurent. I’m happy he’s in the role he’s in,” Brown told reporters in Budapest. “I like Laurent, and I think that’ll be healthy, and maybe we can get back to focusing on competition on the track.”
Brown’s endorsement of Mekies—a well-respected figure in F1 with experience at Toro Rosso and Ferrari—comes after what he described as an increasingly “unhealthy” dynamic at Red Bull under Horner’s leadership.
“There’s always going to be some political aspects to the sport,” Brown added. “I think it’s going to be healthier with Laurent. I’m a fan of Laurent, I’ve known him for a long time, and I think it’ll be good to go racing against him.”
A Contentious Rivalry Comes to an End
Brown and Horner shared a long history—one that began during their days racing in British Formula Three and evolved into a sharp-edged rivalry as team principals. Their clashes were frequent and public, especially after Red Bull’s cost cap breach in 2021, which McLaren saw as a serious sporting infraction.
In 2022, Brown accused Red Bull of cheating when the FIA ruled that they had exceeded the $145 million spending limit. Horner fired back, calling Brown’s comments “tremendously disappointing.” The tension often spilled into the media and was amplified in Netflix’s Drive to Survive, where Horner was frequently portrayed as the sport’s “pantomime villain.”
While Max Verstappen continued to dominate the drivers’ standings—winning his fourth consecutive title in 2024—McLaren ended Red Bull’s run of constructor dominance last season. The competition on track was fierce, but Brown believes that Red Bull’s internal culture under Horner had become toxic.
Departure Under a Cloud
Red Bull announced Horner’s dismissal on July 9. Though no official reason was given, his departure followed a turbulent year in which he faced and denied allegations of misconduct made by a female Red Bull employee. He was ultimately cleared after an internal investigation, and he has not commented publicly since leaving the team.
Brown did not directly reference those allegations, but he alluded to the broader dysfunction: “It didn’t seem like a healthy environment,” he said of Red Bull under Horner.
Brown emphasized his desire to return to a more respectful brand of competition—where fierce rivalry can coexist with mutual admiration and professionalism.
“From a fan’s point of view, the drama of the villain stuff, I think, works,” he said. “But I also think the celebratory ‘fight it out on track and photobomb each other’—I think that’s a more fun way to go racing.”
He noted that Horner’s approach often pushed the limits, particularly when it came to technical accusations such as McLaren’s alleged use of ‘flexi-wings.’
“When you start getting into frivolous allegations, I think that’s just going too far,” Brown said. “If I look up and down the pit lane now, I see us fighting each other hard politically—but there being a line that’s not crossed.”
“That line got crossed before,” he added. “So I think we’ll see a little bit of a change for the better.”
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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