Christian Horner Snaps Back At Red Bull Exit Criticism With Bold Mercedes Claim

Saajan Jogia | Oct 2, 2024

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull team principle Christian Horner sits in the F1 Village before the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has refuted claims of a shrinking workforce, despite the attention drawn by notable departures such as Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley. Horner clarified that Red Bull has, in fact, expanded its team, hiring over 200 employees from Mercedes.

The 2024 Formula 1 season saw many exits being announced from the Milton Keynes garage. Newey, the team's chief technical officer, responsible for Red Bull's dominance in the current era of regulations through his masterful ground effect cars, announced his departure in May. He will join Aston Martin as managing technical partner and shareholder in March 2025.

Wheatley, the team's sporting director, is set to join the Sauber F1 team next year and will report to the newly hired CTO and CEO, Mattia Binotto. The Hinwil-based outfit undergoes several structural changes as Audi prepares to conclude its full takeover of the team by 2026.

Red Bull's latest departure made headlines last week, when McLaren announced the signing of the team's chief strategist, Will Courtenay, as its new sporting director. Courtenay, who has been with Red Bull since its Jaguar Racing days in 2003, revealed plans to leave in 2026. His departure comes as Red Bull navigates an internal restructuring process in response to several key exits.

The popular Red Bull departures have fueled speculation of internal discontent in the team. Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, recently called out Horner, holding him accountable for the team's current condition, fearing that the high-profile exits could hinder the team's performance further since Red Bull had already lost the lead in the Constructors' Championship to McLaren. However, Horner highlighted that only a few of the 2000 team members have decided to depart. Speaking to Channel 4, as quoted by GPblog.com, he said:

"Adrian has been on the brink of retiring for 10 years! So we had to be prepared for that and I believe we’ve got strength and depth. He’s chosen to continue and continue elsewhere. And of course, Jonathan, likewise, a long-term member, but they’re two more higher-profile names. The reality is that’s just two people out of 2000 people that we have within the group."

He added:

"We’ve recruited, I think, close to 250 people during the last 12 months, across the project, into powertrains, into the brand new engine shop that we’re building. We don’t talk about the over 200 people we’ve bought from Mercedes. There’s a lot of focus on the two people that are leaving, because they’re slightly more public facing."