{"id":3966,"date":"2026-10-14T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=3966"},"modified":"2026-10-14T07:01:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T10:01:53","slug":"horner-reveals-red-bull-chief-called-to-thank-him-after-verstappens-historic-f1-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/horner-reveals-red-bull-chief-called-to-thank-him-after-verstappens-historic-f1-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Horner reveals Red Bull chief called to thank him after Verstappen&#8217;s historic F1 win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Oliver Mintzlaff called Christian Horner<\/strong> following Red Bull-Ford&#8217;s first Formula 1 victory at Sepang.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Horner says the executive thanked him for his contribution to the engine programme, despite the circumstances surrounding his dismissal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The former Red Bull team principal remains uncertain about his Formula 1 future after leaving the organisation in July 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Christian Horner has revealed that <strong>Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff called him to acknowledge his contribution to the team&#8217;s Formula 1 engine programme<\/strong>, following Max Verstappen&#8217;s historic victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The conversation took place approximately 15 months after Horner was removed from his position as Red Bull Racing team principal, ending a 20-year tenure that included eight Drivers&#8217; Championships and six Constructors&#8217; titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen&#8217;s victory at Sepang on October 4 was particularly significant because it marked the first grand prix triumph for Red Bull Powertrains, the in-house engine operation developed in partnership with Ford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Horner played a central role in establishing the project before his departure, making the breakthrough an emotional milestone for the former team principal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to <em>The Guardian<\/em>, Horner acknowledged that his relationship with Mintzlaff had improved despite the difficult circumstances surrounding his exit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Horner says Mintzlaff thanked him for Red Bull engine project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Horner described the aftermath of his dismissal as painful but confirmed that communication with Red Bull&#8217;s leadership had resumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;He rang the other day and thanked me for all I&#8217;d done for the engine,&#8221;<\/strong> Horner said, referring to Mintzlaff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The acknowledgement followed Red Bull&#8217;s first victory as a power-unit manufacturer, a project that required the construction of a dedicated facility in Milton Keynes and the recruitment of engineers from established Formula 1 engine operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Red Bull began developing its own power unit after deciding to move away from reliance on an external engine supplier for the new 2026 regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company subsequently established a partnership with Ford, which provided technical support and contributed to the development programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen delivered the operation&#8217;s first victory in Malaysia, winning from pole position and confirming the progress achieved during Red Bull Powertrains&#8217; inaugural season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mintzlaff-horner-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1000990687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mintzlaff-horner-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mintzlaff-horner-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mintzlaff-horner-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mintzlaff-horner-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mintzlaff-horner-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mintzlaff-horner.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oliver Mintzlaff and Christian Horner (Photo: Red Bull Content Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Red Bull boss says dismissal remains painful<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the recent conversation with Mintzlaff, Horner has maintained that the circumstances of his dismissal remain difficult to accept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He was removed from his operational responsibilities in July 2025, with Laurent Mekies subsequently taking over as team principal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Horner believes the internal balance of power at Red Bull changed following the death of company co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He has also rejected suggestions that Max Verstappen or his father Jos were responsible for his departure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/horner-reveals-what-he-believes-led-red-bull-to-fire-him\/\">previously reported by GRANDE PR\u00caMIO, Horner believes Red Bull&#8217;s internal leadership changes contributed to his dismissal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former team principal expressed disappointment that he was unable to celebrate the first victory of a project he had helped build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Horner also revealed that he exchanged messages with Verstappen after the Malaysian Grand Prix, congratulating the driver and the team on their achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Red Bull-Ford project reaches major milestone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The success of Red Bull Powertrains has become one of the most significant developments of the 2026 Formula 1 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The operation entered the championship with limited previous experience as a complete power-unit manufacturer, competing against established companies including Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and Audi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its first victory came after a difficult opening phase of the season, during which Red Bull worked to improve reliability, energy management and overall performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen subsequently won again in Singapore, giving the team consecutive grand prix victories and strengthening its position ahead of the United States Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recovery has also raised questions about the competitive balance for 2027, particularly as Mercedes continues to lead the championship with Kimi Antonelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/verstappens-red-bull-revival-is-laying-the-groundwork-to-challenge-antonelli-in-f1-2027\/\">analysis of Red Bull&#8217;s progress towards a possible 2027 title challenge<\/a> examines how the team&#8217;s recent improvements could influence next season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Horner&#8217;s Formula 1 future remains uncertain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Horner has continued to be linked with a possible return to Formula 1, although no agreement with another team has been announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent speculation has involved Ferrari, whose team principal Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vasseur has faced questions about the Italian manufacturer&#8217;s performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Ferrari has publicly supported Vasseur, while Horner has not confirmed negotiations to join the Maranello operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former Red Bull boss has previously suggested that any return to Formula 1 would need to offer a substantial opportunity, potentially involving an ownership stake rather than simply another team principal position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Horner is also preparing to release his memoir, <em>Drive<\/em>, on October 22, with the book expected to provide further details about his career and departure from Red Bull.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Christian Horner says Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff contacted him after Max Verstappen delivered the team&#8217;s first Formula 1 victory with its own power unit, offering recognition for the engine project he helped establish before his dismissal in 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1001089450,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Christian Horner","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Formula 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