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 has swapped Formula 1 speed for four-legged horsepower in a cheeky new Instagram post, days after his shock exit as Red Bull Racing team

Laurent Mekies is just starting his first weekend as Red Bull team principal, and he already sees where changes are needed to get the team back on track. Red Bull announced Mekies as Christian Horner’s replacement after his sudden departure,