'Horner wants to leave Red Bull Racing for prestigious position elsewhere'
Rumors
When Christian Horner walks into the F1 paddock for the first time in Melbourne on Thursday, it is easy to predict the questions the Red Bull Racing team principal will get. Media will no doubt want his opinion on the upcoming appeal filed by the woman accusing him of cross-border behaviour and the complaint she filed with the FIA's ethics committee. Now there is already the next chapter in the Horner saga: the Briton would like to become CEO of Red Bull GmbH.
Since the death of co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, there has been a power struggle between the Austrian side (49 per cent of shares) in the Red Bull concern and the Thai (51 per cent). It is now clear that Christian Horner has joined the Thai camp, which kept him in his position despite allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a now-suspended employee.
Thai shareholder behind Horner
Bild has learned that Chalerm Yoovidhya (73), Red Bull's Thai majority shareholder, now supports Horner's ambition to become CEO of Red Bull GmbH. In that case, current executives Oliver Mintzlaff (sport), Franz Watzlawick (sales) and Alexander Kirchmayr (finance) would be pushed aside.
According to the German medium, Horner can count on so much support from Yoovidhya, because he has presented the Thai with a proverbial sausage. If the Brit were to prevail, Alex Albon would be recruited; a Thai driver who would have a serious chance of winning the world title in 2025 with Red Bull. Especially if Max Verstappen is completely fed up with the turmoil at Red Bull Racing and finds accommodation elsewhere for next season.