Horner’s departure came after a tumultuous 18-month period at Red Bull, during which Max Verstappen’s father Jos called for the team boss to resign as he warned that Red Bull would “explode” if Horner remained in charge.

Heading into the Belgian GP, Red Bull is 288 points behind Constructors' Championship leader McLaren, and Verstappen's dreams of scoring a fifth successive Drivers' Championship crown are hanging by a thread. With a critical regulation change incoming for the 2026 season, Red Bull's status as an F1 powerhouse is under significant threat.