Horner denies Verstappen having a hand in Red Bull exit

Christian Horner has broken his silence on his 2025 sacking from Red Bull Racing. The former Red Bull team principal categorically denied any role by Max Verstappen in the decision that ended his 20-year tenure. 

In a candid interview featured in Netflix’s Drive to Survive Season 8, set for release on February 27, Horner addressed persistent rumours tying the Dutch driver’s camp to his abrupt exit.

He pointed instead to internal power struggles with Red Bull GmbH CEO Oliver Mintzlaff and advisor Helmut Marko as the true catalysts.

Horner’s removal was sudden, occurring after the British Grand Prix in July 2025. He was pulled from operational duties on July 9, stripped of directorships in August, and fully severed on September 22 following a reported $100 million settlement. 

The parent company offered no official explanation, but sources cite clashes over team control after founder Dietrich Mateschitz’s death, with Horner viewed as holding excessive influence. 

Laurent Mekies, ex-RB CEO, assumed the role amid Red Bull’s on-track woes, including just two wins that season and a slide to midfield.

On Verstappen specifically, Horner dismissed involvement by the four-time champion or his outspoken father, Jos. “His father has never been my biggest fan. He’s been outspoken about me, but I don’t believe that the Verstappens were responsible in any way,” Horner said. 

Verstappen, contracted to 2028 with exit clauses tied to poor results, learned of the sacking just hours before the Belgian GP and stressed focus on car competitiveness over personnel changes.

Jos had publicly demanded Horner’s head during 2024 misconduct probes, which cleared the Briton, but Horner insisted the decision rested with Mintzlaff and Marko: “I think this was a decision that was made by Oliver Mintzlaff with Helmut advising from the sidelines.

Horner had an emotional reflection on the “loss and hurt,” lamenting no proper goodbye after Silverstone, where Verstappen qualified pole but finished fifth, his last race under Horner. He negotiated a shortened gardening leave, eyeing a mid-2026 return elsewhere. 

Red Bull’s 2025 struggles stemmed from RB21 design flaws and driver instability, with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda both failing to gel alongside Verstappen. Horner blamed Marko’s young driver program push for lineup issues.

Horner closed by reading a text from rival Toto Wolff, acknowledging their rivalry’s end: “The sport will miss one of its main protagonists.”