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Former Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner was acutely aware of when he should give up racing before later focusing his career around team management
Former Red Bull chief Christian Horner previously revealed the exact moment that his racing days were numbered. Horner served as Red Bull’s team principal and CEO from 2005, leading the organisation to eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles, before his sudden dismissal in July.
There had been speculation about Horner’s future following a run of poor race results, but the shock timing of the announcement left the sport reeling. Following the British Grand Prix, Red Bull announced Horner’s exit and named Racing Bulls chief Laurent Mekies as his replacement, leaving Horner to wonder about his next move.
However, he faced no such surprise when the time came to end his racing career. Instead, Horner had a year to mull over his decision after being left stunned by a rival driver ahead of competing for Arden International in Formula 3000.
READ MORE: Christian Horner’s life since Red Bull sack and ‘obvious’ F1 return planREAD MORE: George Russell admits Mercedes support has changed since Max Verstappen put him ‘at risk’
“I suppose the defining moment for me was, even before the season had started at the beginning of 1998, when I drove out of the pit lane in Portugal,” Horner told the High Performance podcast back in May 2021. “There used to be a really high-speed turn, sort of one down shift straight into the corner.
“There’s barriers that are about three metres from the edge of the track. If you’re gonna have a crash there, it’s going to be a big one. And Juan Pablo Montoya came past me as I was coming out of the pit lane into this corner and I could just see the angle that this car was at…
“The commitment that he had. The rim is trying to push its way through the tyre and he just kept this thing absolutely planted and I just knew.
“I thought, ‘I can’t do that.’ My foot and brain, there’s something between them that’s saying, ‘Don’t do it.’ In reality, I just knew that, s***, I haven’t got the ability to disconnect the risk versus the commitment that it had.”
Horner secured a Formula Renault scholarship in 1991, later advancing to Formula Two before establishing his own racing outfit. Arden International flourished in F3000 under Horner’s stewardship, which led to his appointment as Red Bull boss after the energy drinks giant bought out Jaguar F1.
Sky Sports F1 host Simon Lazenby shared he had recently spoken to Horner, who has enjoyed quality time with his family since departing Red Bull. The presenter theorised that the 51-year-old might link up with Alpine or launch his own F1 operation, considering Horner’s unwillingness to relocate his family.
Meanwhile, new Red Bull boss Mekies has dismissed any talk of friction between himself and Horner. He acknowledged that they have remained in contact and that Horner promptly congratulated him following confirmation of Mekies’ appointment as his successor.
“We have spoken,” Mekies revealed ahead of last week’s Belgian Grand Prix. “He has been nothing else than supportive even in the extremely difficult context for him.
“He was the first one to text, he was the first one to call. I think, again this morning or yesterday we texted again. He has been nothing else than supportive, which is very impressive in the context.
“Nobody is going to replace his character. Nobody is going to replace him like-for-like. I come in to do the CEO and team principal job. Is there any way one can do it in the same way as Christian? No. Or at least, certainly not me.”
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