Christian Horner, the former Red Bull Racing team principal, spent the Belgian Grand Prix weekend indulging his passion for horses after being dismissed from his role. He posted a video on Instagram of himself riding a horse along a country lane, with the caption: "Different horse power this Sunday."
Horner had been in charge of Red Bull for 20 years and had attended every single race since the team's debut in 2005. This weekend marks the first time in 406 races that he has not been present in the F1 paddock.
He was replaced by Laurent Mekies, who stepped up from sister team Racing Bulls. Mekies has been given reduced responsibilities compared to Horner, with adviser Helmut Marko confirming his focus will be on racing.
Mekies' immediate priority is to retain star driver Max Verstappen, who has a contract until 2028 but has been linked with a move to Mercedes. Verstappen won the Sprint race in Belgium on Saturday, giving Mekies an ideal start.
Mekies acknowledged that Verstappen's decision will likely depend on the car's performance, stating: "I'm sure Max wants a fast car... so really the focus is very much to try to get to know the team as quickly as possible... to get a fast car."
