Christian Horner has expressed his opinion on his departure from Red Bull, denying any involvement of Max Verstappen or his father, Jos, in his dismissal.
The departure of Horner, who was team principal for many years, occurred in July of last year, generating surprise in the world of Formula 1.
His departure came after a period of internal tensions, including differences with Jos Verstappen and Helmut Marko, who also left the team.
“[Max]’s father has never been my biggest fan,” Horner stated in the documentary. “He has been critical of me, but I don’t think the Verstappens were responsible in any way.”
Christian Horner
Christian Horner no cree que Max Verstappen o su padre Jos fueran responsables de su salida de Red Bull.Horner’s departure marked a significant change, as he had led the team since its creation in 2005.
Behind the scenes, a broader power struggle was unfolding. The death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022 intensified this situation, with Horner maintaining the support of the Thai family that owns 51% of the company.
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It became clear that the Austrian part of the company, overseen by Mateschitz’s son, Mark, and controlling the remaining 49%, was increasingly frustrated by the power Horner wielded as CEO of the racing team.
Horner, who oversaw both racing and commercial matters, believes this influenced the final decision.
“It was quite sudden. I didn’t really get a chance to say a proper goodbye,” Horner said. “I think this was a decision made by [Red Bull executive] Oliver Mintzlaff with advice from Helmut from the sidelines. I think, ultimately, things changed within the company, within the group. The founder died, and after Dietrich’s death, I think I was probably considered to have too much control.”
