Christian Horner finally shares the ‘real reason’ why Red Bull let him go after the 2024 claims.
Christian Horner recently opened up about why he thinks Red Bull let him go in 2025.
Horner, who’s 52, led the team to eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles from 2005 until he was sacked in July last year. This happened 17 months after a female employee accused him of sexual harassment and controlling behavior. Horner denies the claims and was cleared twice after an internal investigation and an appeal.
On October 12, The Guardian’s Donald McRae shared an interview with Horner where he talked about how shocked he was by his sudden exit, calling it “brutal and sad.” Although the full reason wasn’t clearly given, Horner thinks it might have been because he held too much power at Red Bull. He said, “I think it was a feeling there was too much control in my hands. But I wasn’t really given a reason.”
When asked if the 2024 allegations played a part in his firing, Horner replied, “I’d come through that, dismissed them. So this was more focused on performance and the future.”
As for coming back to Formula 1, Horner said, “Absolutely. But if I don’t go back, I had a great run. I won one in every four races I competed in, with 287 podiums out of 405 races.”
He had once called a job at Ferrari a “dream job,” which got people talking about him possibly taking over from current boss Fred Vasseur. However, Horner later clarified that his words were “taken out of context.” He praised Vasseur for doing a good job but said, “I know the pressure of running a competitive team… Ferrari is the biggest and most historic team in F1. But I have built strong support to think about my next move, and that would involve some ownership. Ferrari isn’t selling shares, so I’m happy to wait and see what opportunities come up. I’d only return for the right chance, with people who share my drive to win. I wouldn’t come back just to take part.”
In 2025, after leaving Red Bull, Horner received a payout reported to be around £75 million. He also shared that Helmut Marko stayed at his family home just two days before he was let go, which surprised him since he had no warning.
When asked about Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, Horner gave a short reply: “There’s nothing to say.” He also said the decision to sack him was Red Bull’s and wasn’t influenced by the Verstappen family. He explained, “After Dietrich died, things changed in leadership.” (Dietrich Mateschitz co-founded Red Bull and passed away in 2022.)