Christian Horner says Max Verstappen wasn't behind his removal from Red Bull F1 team

Christian Horner has said he doesn't believe that Max Verstappen was "in any way” responsible for him being removed as Red Bull team principal.

Horner was abruptly relieved of his duties after 20 years in July, halfway through the Formula 1 season. He formally left the team in September.

In comments featured in the upcoming series of Netflix documentary "Drive To Survive,” his most detailed remarks on his departure to date, Horner says he believed it was the decision of Red Bull company chief executive for corporate projects and investments, Oliver Mintzlaff, and then-Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko, rather than Verstappen and his 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. I think this was a decision that was made by Oliver Mintzlaff with Helmut advising from the sideline," Horner says.

"I think ultimately things changed within the business, within the group. The founder died (Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who died in 2022 ), and after Dietrich’s death I think probably I was deemed to have maybe too much control.”

At the time, Verstappen had yet to commit to staying with Red Bull for 2026, something he did weeks after Horner was replaced by Laurent Mekies as team principal.

Marko had made public comments of concern over Verstappen's future and the potential for the four-time world champion to leave Red Bull under a performance-related clause in his contract. Marko announced his own retirement in December.

Mekies oversaw an improvement in Red Bull's form over the second half of the season, which allowed Verstappen to take his ultimately unsuccessful title defense to the final race of the year before McLaren's Lando Norris secured the championship.

"I feel a real sense of loss and hurt. It was all rather sudden. I didn't really get a chance to say a proper goodbye," Horner says of his departure from the team in the Netflix series. "I've had something taken away from me that wasn't my choice, that was very precious to me.”

The announcement that Horner was no longer team principal came more than a year after Horner was accused of misconduct toward a team employee.

An investigation conducted on behalf of the Red Bull company dismissed the allegation, as did a further investigation conducted after the employee appealed against the initial ruling, Red Bull said at the time.
Horner remained in charge of the F1 team throughout the entire process.

Associated Press