The key questions as Horner leaves Red Bull

In a significant managerial shake-up, Christian Horner has departed his role as Red Bull Team Principal after two decades, being replaced by Laurent Mekies, who moves from sister team Racing Bulls. Alan Permane has been promoted to take Mekies's former position. This leadership change comes amidst a challenging season for Red Bull, currently fourth in the Teams' Championship and well behind leaders McLaren. The team has also seen key departures like Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley recently. Mekies, highly regarded for his leadership at Racing Bulls and prior experience with Ferrari and the FIA, is expected to steady the ship as Red Bull prepares for the sweeping 2026 regulation changes and their own power unit development.