Christian Horner reveals what led up to his 'abrupt and brutal' Red Bull F1 exit

Christian Horner has shared the reasons behind his abrupt departure from Red Bull Racing, which took place after a 20-year tenure as CEO and team principal. The 52-year-old British motorsport executive was replaced by Laurent Mekies in July 2025. Horner discussed his career in Formula 1 and his time at Red Bull at the Autosport Business Exchange in New York, an event that returned to the city for its second edition.

The conference brought together senior leaders from motorsport, business, and brands at the Manhattan Motorcars showroom to explore the sport's growth in America.

Horner made his first U.S. appearance at the event since leaving Oracle Red Bull Racing. Among the panellists were seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, former Formula 1 Chase Carey, General Motors' Mark Reuss, Penske's Jonathan Gibson, and NASCAR's Tim Clark. During an onstage conversation with CBS News anchor Errol Barnett, Horner was asked about the surprise factor of his departure.

He responded that while the timing was abrupt and brutal, he had sensed changes within the company since the passing of founder Dietrich Mateschitz in late 2022.

Horner acknowledged that it was inevitable for the company to evolve and change after Mateschitz's passing, as the power behind Red Bull had been his for years, making all the significant decisions. He also noted that the drive to bring more control back into the head office differed from the autonomy enjoyed at Red Bull Racing and Milton Keynes. Although Horner recognized that it was impossible to replace the founder, he admitted that as the group evolved and took on the challenge, the team felt the shift differently.

The Red Bull Racing era under Horner's leadership saw the team achieve remarkable success, including six constructors championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022, and 2023, and eight drivers championships in 2010-13 and 2021-24. Drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, who both became four-time champions with Red Bull, were part of Horner's team.

Horner expressed great pride in his achievements at Red Bull and reflected on the remarkable results achieved by the drivers and the brilliant and amazing people who worked with him.