Red Bull signals it will keep up title fight after Horner was fired. It faces many other challenges

Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has pledged not give up on the Formula 1 title fight until it's mathematically impossible for Max Verstappen to win, even after Christian Horner was fired as team principal.

In the first sign of the team's ambitions after ending Horner's 20-year tenure and appointing Laurent Mekies, Marko dismissed suggestions Thursday that the move might mark a shift of focus to 2026.

''As for the current sporting situation: there are still twelve races to go, and we will continue to fight for the drivers' championship as long as it's mathematically possible," Marko said in comments released by the team.

It comes after Max Verstappen — third in the standings, 69 points off the lead — had seemed pessimistic about his title defense. Marko himself last month told Austrian TV the team might need to ''write off'' the title if things didn't improve.

There was no mention Thursday of the constructors' standings, where Red Bull is far adrift of McLaren.

Turning around a disappointing season is just one of many urgent demands facing Mekies on his first full day as Red Bull's new team principal.

Verstappen's future

The defending champion last week refused to commit to staying with Red Bull for 2026, even while Horner claimed Verstappen's ''intention is that he will be there.''

It's likely to become clearer in the coming weeks whether Horner's departure has done anything to make Verstappen more willing to stay.

If Verstappen does leave, it would likely be for rival Mercedes. Losing its star driver relatively late in 2025 could hamper Red Bull's development work for next year, and there are few experienced options available.

The second seat

The two sides of the Red Bull garage seem like different teams.

Verstappen has scored 165 of Red Bull's 172 points this year despite his frequent complaints about the car. For anyone else, it seems undriveable. The last Red Bull podium for a driver other than Verstappen was in April 2024. The last win came in April 2023.

Last week, Horner said Verstappen's teammate Yuki Tsunoda would be given the rest of the season to show what he can do. Whatever happens, Mekies has to choose who will fill that seat for 2026.

One option is Isack Hadjar, the impressive rookie at Racing Bulls. However, Mekies was at Racing Bulls when Liam Lawson was first promoted, then sent back down with shattered confidence.

Office politics

Getting the best out of Red Bull means dealing with its internal politics.

In his previous role with Racing Bulls, Mekies worked with the 82-year-old Marko, who is employed by Red Bull's parent company and oversees both of its F1 teams. The Austrian is influential but his authority and position are vaguely defined.

Another influential figure who isn't a team employee is Jos Verstappen. The star driver's father is a regular presence in the paddock and wasn't afraid of criticizing Horner in public.

Since Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz's death in 2022, the parent company's shareholders in Thailand have shaped the direction of the team. They're rarely seen at races and avoid commenting in public.

Big changes in 2026

The most sweeping changes to F1 cars in a generation could reshape the sport.

Red Bull aced the last big regulation change in 2022 with a car designed by Adrian Newey. He left last year for Aston Martin, an ambitious team which has been planning for this moment for years. It's just one of several rivals with their eyes on Red Bull's place as a title challenger.

Mekies will need to get a quick grasp of Red Bull's plans for 2026 and a major expansion of its in-house engine production program, which includes Ford returning to F1 for next year as Red Bull's partner.

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