Red Bull in 'good hands' despite Horner's departure, says ex-Red Bull family driver

Christian Horner was let go from Red Bull after 20 years at the helm of the team, just days after the halfway point of the 2025 F1 season.

The Brit has been replaced by former Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies, who will take charge of his first race for the team at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix.

Bourdais drove for the Red Bull family as part of the Toro Rosso team in 2008 and 2009. He scored six points in 27 starts for the sister team.

When asked by Motorsport's Brazilian edition about Horner's firing, Bourdais kept tight-lipped, acknowledging that the mid-season pivot will affect Red Bull.

"It's not really my place to say anything. But, obviously, he had a huge amount of success with the team. It's never easy for an organisation to go through this, especially during the season," he explained.

The Frenchman has enjoyed significant success outside of Formula 1, capturing four Champ Car titles in the United States, multiple class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and an overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

He currently races with Cadillac's Hertz Team Jota outfit in the World Endurance Championship.

Despite the loss of Horner, Bourdais is certain that Red Bull has the right man to carry them through this period of change.

Mekies takes over from his previous role of Racing Bulls team principal, a job he held since the start of the 2024 season.

Alan Permane has now taken over Mekies' former team principal position at Racing Bulls, as the Red Bull family undergoes big internal changes.