Christian Horner has broken his silence following his 2025 departure from Red Bull, insisting that Max Verstappen and his camp were “not responsible” for his dismissal.
In an upcoming episode of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, the 52-year-old former Team Principal dismissed rumors that his exit was a move to appease the Verstappen family.
While acknowledging that Max’s father, Jos, was “never my biggest fan,” Horner stated he does not believe the Verstappens played a role in his firing.
Instead, Horner blamed a corporate power shift following the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
He specifically pointed to Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff and advisor Helmut Marko, suggesting he was deemed to have “too much control” under the new leadership.
Horner’s 20-year tenure, which yielded 14 world titles, ended after a turbulent period marked by internal disputes and a 2024 misconduct allegation for which he was eventually cleared.
Despite a £52m payout, Horner expressed a “real sense of loss,” noting the exit was so sudden he never got to say a proper goodbye.
