Alex Albon has expressed surprise at Christian Horner’s split from Red Bull, highlighting the vast amount of “success” that he achieved leading the team in Formula 1.
The Williams driver raced under Horner during his brief stint with the Milton Keynes-based outfit from mid-2019 to 2020.
Albon began his F1 career within the Red Bull family, initially racing for sister team Toro Rosso before being promoted to the main squad to partner Max Verstappen.
His time under Horner was turbulent, with multiple crashes and inconsistent performances ultimately leading to his exit and replacement by Sergio Perez ahead of 2021.
The 29-year-old returned to the sport in 2022 with Williams and is currently enjoying one of his best seasons yet in 2025, sitting eighth overall with 46 points to his name.
Following Horner’s departure, Albon spoke publicly for the first time ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, admitting that he was taken aback when the news dropped.
“Yeah, yeah I was,” he told media including Motorsport Week when asked if he was surprised by Horner’s exit.
“I think, obviously, he’s someone who’s helped me a lot in my Formula 1 career.
“And, yeah, obviously he’s been in the sport for a long time, with a lot of success. So, you could say he’s built that team up.”
Laurent Mekies has replaced Horner having vacated his role with Racing Bulls, while Alan Permane has since succeeded him at the helm of the Faenza-based squad.
Albon reflects on Horner’s impact as Red Bull faces a new era
Turning back to Horner, Albon was asked what made the erstwhile team principal so successful in building Red Bull into a multiple-time championship-winning outfit.
He reflected on Horner’s leadership style and ability to assemble a strong, lasting team.
“Obviously, I joined quite late into the Christian Horner era, let’s say,” he added.
“So, on my side, it was clear that he had his people and he brought everyone up together.
“I think that there was a lot of long-standing members at Red Bull who were there for a long time, and still are to this day as well.
“They seem to have a good knack for finding the right people and then building a good circle around.
“They seem to chip away at it and very quickly get to the top. I guess that’s a part of his success.”
As Red Bull presses on without Horner at the helm, the challenge will be maintaining the strong foundation he built with his trusted team.
The Belgian GP, along with next weekend’s round in Hungary, will offer a first glimpse into how the team operates going forward this season.
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