Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel has warned that Red Bull could still face on and off-track issues for firing former boss Christian Horner.
Horner’s high profile dismissal from the team came amongst a backdrop of a competitive dip, as Max Verstappen and the team struggled to match McLaren early in the season.
The Briton had been in post as Team Principal since Red Bull Racing’s inception in 2005, and controlled multiple aspects of the team, including its fledgling power unit division.
Laurent Mekies has stepped into the role Horner vacated with minimal drama, and has been credited with the resurgence of the Milton Keynes-based squad that has brought Verstappen back into title contention.
But former Red Bull champion Vettel believes the full effects of Horner’s dismissal are yet to be realised, admitting the decision by the board to let Horner go caught him off-guard.
“Surprised,” he admitted to Sky Sports when asked about his former boss’s departure.
“I mean, Christian has been there for so long, since the very beginning, and knew this team, knows this team inside out.”
Consequences not yet fully apparent for Red Bull?
Despite results dramatically improving dramatically under Mekies, Vettel hinted at Horner’s influence on the turnaround, concerned over the team’s long term future.
“I think for this year, everything was in place”, he commented.
“I know Laurent as well, the successor, and I’ve worked with him, and he’s a really great person.
“But I think Christian left some big footsteps, not just because of all the success he’s had with the team, but also, I think he was such a central part of the team, knew what was going on and so on.
“I’m not completely aware of the organisation, the structure, and especially the plan for the future, but that’s where I think it’s valid to say, let’s wait and see how it turns out.”
Vettel was briefly linked with joining Red Bull in a managerial capacity, but confirmed talks never progressed beyond the initial exploratory stages.
“I don’t know,” he reacted when asked. “I read as well, there was a lot of talk about it and so on.
“And I did speak with Helmut a little bit, but it never got anywhere, never gained any traction.
“I think for me, I’m fairly happy where I am in life right now.
“I love Formula 1. In the beginning, I thought I’m not sure whether I want to keep watching because I need to get a distance and so on, but I watch the races and I follow and I love it because I just love the sport. I know the guys as well, so I’m still close in that way.
“And, I don’t know, if the right opportunity, position, perspective, whatever, turns up or could turn up, maybe there’s a role that I could be happy to step up to, but time will tell.”
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