Christian Horner’s emotional phrases to spouse Geri after Red Bull sack in Drive to Survive
Christian Horner’s reaction to being sacked by Red Bull last year has emerged in the new season of Drive to Survive as he emotionally opened up to his wife Geri
Christian Horner’s reaction to his Red Bull sacking has emerged(Image: PA)
Christian Horner’s reaction to his Red Bull sacking has been laid bare in the new season of Drive to Survive.
Horner was dismissed as Red Bull team boss last year after losing a power struggle at the team, which was intensified after allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made against him, which he vehemently denied and twice cleared.
After two decades in charge, taking Red Bull from its inception on the grid to six Constructors’ Championships and eight Drivers’ Championships, Horner was sacked and replaced by Laurent Mekies as performances on the track diminished and noise about discontent from Max Verstappen rose.
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In the F1 docuseries that aired Friday, the 52-year-old’s reaction to his seismic exit was shown as Horner, who reportedly received a pay-out in the region of £75million, admitted he was probably deemed to have “too much control.”
A section of the episode showed Horner speaking to his wife Geri at their Oxfordshire home, where he emotionally opened up: “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.
“I never imagined to be in this position. Your immediate reaction when you’re given a s*** sandwich like that is… f*** them. I’ve had something taken away from me that wasn’t my choice, that was very precious to me.
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“I only ever did my best… but performance this year hasn’t been as strong as previously.”
Horner’s fractious relationship with Verstappen’s father Jos was speculated to be one of the reasons behind his sacking, but he refused to blame the Verstappens for his departure, instead taking aim at Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff and now-departed driver development overlord Helmut Marko.
On Verstappen, Horner said: “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.
“This was a decision made by Oliver Mintzlaff, with Helmut advising by the sidelines. I think ultimately things change within the business and the group.
“The founder died and after Dietrich Mateschitz’s death [in 2022], I think I was probably deemed to have too much control.”
One of Horner’s final key changes at Red Bull was to controversially drop Liam Lawson after just two races for Yuki Tsunoda, a decision that backfired with Lawson going on to score more points than the Japanese driver in the Racing Bulls sister team.
But Horner insisted on Drive to Survive that it was not his call. “That wasn’t my choice,” he said. “I was always pushed to take drivers from the junior programme, Helmut was a big driver in that. The reality is that over 20 years, on the good and bad days, it’s been an epic journey.”
As part of his exit agreement with Red Bull, Horner can return to the F1 paddock from April and has been linked with a move to Renault-owned Alpine.
