LONDON — Christian Horner has suggested he was perceived to have "too much influence" at Red Bull, a factor he believes led to his sacking as team principal in July 2025. The former boss, who oversaw two eras of domination with Sebastian Vettel and four consecutive drivers' and constructors' titles from 2010-13 and with Max Verstappen and four drivers' championships and three constructors' crowns from 2021-24, departed after results declined into 2025.
In an exclusive interview with sister publication Autosport, Horner addressed his exit directly. "I think the company just wanted to go in a different direction, or perhaps it was perceived I had too much influence over the team," Horner said. "And, of course, life after Dietrich [Mateschitz] had passed was quite different within the group."
Horner was chosen by Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz to lead the transformation of the team after the takeover of the Jaguar outfit and was a close ally throughout their partnership. Mateschitz's death in October 2022 is widely considered to have started a power struggle at Red Bull, with the brand's board overseen by CEO Oliver Mintzlaff looking to take more control over Formula 1 operations and away from Horner's remit. That fractious period followed an internal investigation over allegations of inappropriate behavior and an appeal in 2024, both of which cleared Horner's name, and saw high-profile departures including Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley.
Horner paid tribute to Mateschitz and the freedom he was given. "He was Red Bull. All the significant decisions were going through him, he built that business from nothing in a great partnership with the Yoovidhya family," Horner said, referring to Red Bull's other co-owners. "Dietrich was passionate about racing, cars, he loved the drivers, he loved all forms of motorsport." He added: "He was very good to me, he gave me the chance, he believed in me and he gave me the freedom to operate the business and I'll forever be grateful to him for that."
Horner said the structure at the top of the Red Bull empire changed fundamentally after the founder's death. "It was just different after that. Suddenly there was a lot more committee and corporately-driven [management] than perhaps a one-man founder and the decision-making process that we'd become accustomed to," he said.