Horner says Red Bull may have wanted change—or his influence was seen as too great

In an interview with Autosport, Christian Horner said Red Bull may have parted company with him because it wanted a different direction—or because, as he put it, “perhaps it was perceived I had too much influence over the team.” He was dismissed as team principal in July 2025.

Horner’s exit followed a turbulent period at Red Bull. A power struggle unfolded there in 2024 amid an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour and an appeal; both cleared Horner’s name. Senior figures, including Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, left as the team’s results declined going into 2025.

Horner linked the change inside the group to the death of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022. Mateschitz had chosen him to lead Red Bull’s F1 team after its takeover of Jaguar. Horner said decision-making became more committee- and corporate-led after Mateschitz’s death, rather than following the founder-centred process he had known. He also said Mateschitz gave him the freedom to run the business, and that he would always be grateful.