Red Bull Racing At Spa: Max Verstappen In, Briton Horner Out

This weekend's Belgian Grand Prix marks the beginning of a new era for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, who are hoping for a successful season restart without Christian Horner in control. Following a brief hiatus, Formula One is back in action, and McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are stepping up their fight to unseat the Dutchman as world champion. Red Bull will be closely watched as they set out on a new journey under Frenchman Laurent Mekies, while Norris aims for his third straight victory in an attempt to cut teammate Piastri's eight-point lead.

The 51-year-old Briton Horner, who was abruptly fired two weeks ago after 20 years of success- including leading Verstappen to four straight world titles from 2021 to 2024, has never raced with a Red Bull team before.

In addition to maintaining the team's concentration and performance at the magnificent high-speed circuit in the Ardennes, his replacement, Mekies, who was promoted from the junior team Racing Bulls, faces a formidable task: stabilizing Red Bull following a turbulent time. Belgian-born Verstappen has been linked to a 2026 switch to Mercedes, and the champion has welcomed the arrival of Mekies, who has engineering experience and steers clear of conflict and strife, while Horner has kept mute since his shocking departure.

The team lost the constructors' title to McLaren, Horner was investigated for alleged inappropriate conduct, and key staff members left over the 18 months of rumors and intrigue that ended with his promotion. In a team statement, Verstappen stated, "I was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim with the team," without mentioning Horner's departure.

"I'm excited to collaborate closely with Laurent. Spa is a vintage circuit where you have to do everything perfectly to have a decent lap, and it's always my favorite track on the calendar. I enjoy the high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge, the layout, which is different from other circuits, and the elevation changes that make the track more of a challenge to drive."

Verstappen will relish going back to one of his "home" events following a disappointing performance at Silverstone, when he started from pole position and ended sixth. He hopes Mekies can reignite the team's spark and give him his fourth career victory at Spa.