While the reason for Horner's ousting has not been revealed, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has pointed out that performance concerns led to his exit, and that the decision was taken by the managing director of Red Bull GmbH, Oliver Mintzlaff. Newsweek Sports reported his comments:

Christian Horner was moved on at Red Bull Racing as CEO and team principal, his replacement in both functions, Laurent Mekies, now sheds light on the team's leadership disclosing the reasons behind the shake up.

The Dutchman's entourage has clashed with Horner in the past, and his father, Jos, publicly called for the Brit to resign in 2