Karun Chandhok: Red Bull feels like a 'different team' in post-Horner era

Former F1 driver and analyst Karun Chandhok says Red Bull Racing feels like a “different team” this season following the departure of long-time team principal Christian Horner, suggesting the atmosphere is now less pressured for new driver Isack Hadjar. The team, now led by Laurent Mekies, has undergone a significant leadership and cultural shift after Horner and advisor Helmut Marko exited last year.

Why it matters:

Red Bull's historically high-pressure, cutthroat environment for drivers—especially those paired with Max Verstappen—has been a defining characteristic of their success. A perceived shift towards a more supportive atmosphere could signal a fundamental change in team philosophy, impacting driver development, team morale, and long-term competitiveness beyond just relying on Verstappen's dominance.

The details:

• Chandhok observed the change on Sky F1, noting, “This is the first full year of the Laurent Mekies era at Red Bull. I think it is perhaps a less high-pressure environment.”
• The leadership overhaul saw Mekies promoted from Racing Bulls to replace Horner mid-2025, coinciding with the promotion of French compatriot Isack Hadjar to the second race seat.
• Chandhok believes the familiar relationship with Mekies is a confidence boost for Hadjar’s crucial rookie season with the senior team.
• He directly criticized the team's past approach: “It didn't work, did it, piling on that pressure of giving Liam Lawson two races to prove himself in the seat. That's never going to work.”
• The new expectation for Hadjar is not to beat Verstappen but to be consistently close: “They need him to be a tenth or two behind Max and just make sure that on a day where Max has an issue... he's there. Just be right behind him, and so far he's been there.”

What's next:

The early signs of Hadjar's adaptation have been positive according to Chandhok, but the true test will be maintaining that performance across a full season. If Red Bull sustains this more measured approach to its second driver, it could break a long cycle of struggled partnerships alongside Verstappen and build a more stable foundation for the team's future in the new regulatory era.