Horner will remain as Red Bull team principal until 2026

December 22, 2021

Horner joined Red Bull as team boss in 2005, when the energy drink giant entered F1 with its own team. Since then it has won five drivers’ championships and four constructors’ titles.

The last victory came just over a week ago, when Max Verstappen became F1 world champion on the final lap of the season in Abu Dhabi, beating Lewis Hamilton.

The Dutchman said after winning the race that he hopes to stay with Red Bull for the next 10-15 years, and the brand’s adviser, Helmut Marko , wants to start negotiating an extension to the driver’s contract.

Red Bull are looking to keep their team together and committed and it has now emerged that Horner has already signed his contract extension, meaning he will continue as the main team until at least 2026 when the next generation of power units are introduced. in F1.

Speaking to ServusTV , in a joint interview with Verstappen, Marko said that the tandem he has put together with Horner “works very well”, and that Red Bull had moved to extend his contract even before Verstappen’s.

“Christian is the boss of the team, he’s in the public eye and I’m more in the background,” Marko said. “But we coordinate things quite well, we set the direction for the team and also for our staff. In political matters we often speak the same language, and I think our success proves us right.”

” Dietrich Mateschitz , owner of Red Bull, said at the beginning: ‘Christian what?’, as Christian had zero experience in Formula 1. But I already knew him from Formula 3000 and other lower categories and I knew his ambitions and skills. Now he has become great.”

“He’s a charismatic team boss who, by the way – even before you [Verstappen] – was in the process of extending his contract until 2026.

“Within the entire team, or at least in the top positions, we want to have stability for the transition years ahead, when the new engine and chassis regulations arrive, to have a solid team for that.”

Red Bull sources confirmed to Motorsport.com that Horner’s contract extension has now been signed.

The next one to renew Red Bull will be Verstappen, since his current agreement expires at the end of the 2023 season.

Asked about Verstappen’s comment that he wants to stay at Red Bull for the next 10-15 years, Marko said: “His words have not reached his own representatives yet. We are discussing that at the moment.”

Verstappen added that he was “very happy where I am now, and I do hope that we can do this together for another 10 or 15 years.”

Verstappen also brushed off the fact that Hamilton’s Mercedes contract expires at the end of 2023, saying: “I don’t really care what happens on the other side.”