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Christian Horner has laid responsibility for his sacking as Red Bull boss firmly at the doors of Helmet Marko and Red Bull GmbH MD, Oliver Mintzlaff.
Though the Briton appeared to have survived the sexting scandal that overshadowed the Austrian team for much of 2024, and despite being cleared by two separate independent investigations, just three days after the 2025 British Grand Prix, he was fired.
Throughout 2024, it was widely speculated that the scandal was a vehicle for certain factions to oust Horner, with one claimed to be Red Bull GmbH in Austria, uneasy as it felt the team was too ‘Britain-centric’ and another led by the Verstappens.
In the latest series of Drive to Survive, Horner is in no doubt as to where the blame lay.
“I feel a real sense of loss and hurt,” he says. “It was all rather sudden… I didn’t really get the chance to say a proper goodbye.
“I never imagined to be in this position,” he adds. “Of course your immediate reaction when you’re delivered a s**t sandwich like that is to say ‘f*** them’. I had something taken away from me which wasn’t my choice which was very precious to me.”
Asked if the Verstappens were responsible for his sacking, he replies: “His father has never been my biggest fan. He’s been outspoken about me. But I don’t believe the Verstappens were responsible in any way. I think this was a decision made by Oliver Mintzlaff with Helmut Marko advising from the sideline.
“I think ultimately things changed within the business, within the group,” he continues. “The founder died, and after Dietrich (Mateschitz)’s death, I was probably deemed to have maybe too much control.”
Horner also claims that it wasn’t his decision to drop Liam Lawson after just two races.
“I was always pushed to take drivers from the young driver programme,” he says. “Helmut was a big driver in it.”
The Briton, who had a long fractious relationship with Toto Wolff, reveals that the Austrian was the first to contact him following his sacking, the Mercedes boss texting: “I didn’t know what to say, because on one side you’ve been a real a**hole. But on the other hand, the sport will miss one of its main protagonists.
“Who should I fight? And ‘love to hate’, as you always said?” it concludes.
In response Horner texted: “I’ve loved locking horns with you all these years. So thank you for the rivalry, the competition and the needle. No one else even came close, as the statistics point out. I wish you all the best for the future. P.S. You need a haircut.”
