Just a few weeks ago, Helmut Marko launched a fierce attack on Red Bull’s former CEO and team principal, accusing him of repeatedly lying in order to engineer his suspension and claiming that, had his departure come earlier, Verstappen would have gone on to become world champion.

When asked to comment on those remarks in an interview with De Telegraaf, Oliver Mintzlaff replied as follows: "Those words about Christian are for Helmut's account. I can't say anything negative about Christian, simply because he has meant a lot to Red Bull. But there always comes a time when things don't go well and then you have to make a decision as a company. Are you going to give someone more time, or is it time for a new leader? We thought it was time for a change."

Mintzlaff distanced himself from Marko’s remarks, stressing that it is only natural for things to change over time and that they are no longer the same as they once were.

Not long afterwards, Marko’s own departure followed, although this time — speaking to GPblog — the Austrian reiterated that the decision to step away was entirely his own.

The news of Horner’s dismissal is still making waves six months on, even though Laurent Mekies’ arrival has certainly not given Red Bull any reason to regret the decision when looking at the results from the final third of the season.

Speaking in the same interview, the Austrian explained that the decision was deemed necessary, while also acknowledging the outstanding work Horner had carried out over the past 20 years.