Christian Horner was sacked as team principal of Red Bull Racing in July, ending his 20-year spell in charge. No clear explanation has been provided by Red Bull so far, and the announcement of Laurent Mekies as his replacement followed just minutes after the news broke.

Sky Sports Formula 1 commentator Martin Brundle offered additional information on Christian Horner's departure from Red Bull Racing.

Helmut Marko, the influential figure behind Red Bull’s driver development program, had remained publicly silent following Horner’s dismissal, until now. Speaking for the first time on the matter, Marko was quick to clarify that the call wasn’t his.