Christian Horner says he has left the Formula 1 team of Red Bull with a heavy heart on Wednesday. The leader of Max Verstappen’s team has been dismissed due to disappointing results.
“After an incredible journey of twenty years, I say goodbye today with a heavy heart to the team I have loved so much,” Horner writes in a message on his Instagram page. There, the Englishman responds for the first time to his dismissal.
In his message, Horner mainly addresses the employees of Red Bull. “The people in the factory have put their heart and soul into it piece by piece. Regardless of profit or loss, we have supported each other and I will never forget that.”
Under Horner’s leadership, Red Bull grew into one of the best Formula 1 teams ever, with a total of eight world titles and six team championships. That does not seem to be the case this year. Verstappen is far behind in the World Championship standings and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is performing very poorly.
That has been fatal for Horner. Last year, he escaped dismissal when a female employee accused him of sexual misconduct. After an internal investigation, he was acquitted.
Horner does not address the reason for the break in his message. Remarkably, he does thank the rival teams, who in Horner’s eyes have “challenged” Red Bull and enabled them to win titles that the team “never thought possible.”
“The mutual competition made every victory sweeter and turned every setback into an opportunity,” he writes. “Formula 1 is built on boundless ambition, passion and respect. The rivalry was fierce, but the shared drive to raise the bar made this journey so special.”
Horner says it was an honor to be part of “this incredible era in motorsport”. “I leave with immense pride in what we have achieved and also what is in the pipeline for 2026.”
With that, Horner refers to the rules for the new year, which will make the cars and engines look very different. “I have enormous respect for the people who have made F1 what the sport is today. Thank you.”