Bernie Ecclestone has described Christian Horner as ‘an idiot’ after the ex-pit boss was sacked earlier this week.
Horner led the Red Bull Racing team for 20 years, winning six Constructors’ championships and overseeing six Drivers’ championship titles as well in a period of widespread success.
But Horner’s reign at the top of Formula One began to unravel last February, when he became embroiled in a controversy which swept the paddock and the wider sporting world.
The 51-year-old was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee following the revelation of alleged sex texts sent by the Red Bull boss, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee’s appeal. Horner has strongly denied the claims.
Horner’s long-time friend Ecclestone, 94, has now criticised the former pit boss, telling the Telegraph: ‘This other business that he got involved with 18 months ago, he was just an idiot. He was a 50-year-old who thought he was 20, thought he was one of the boys.’
Bernie Ecclestone (right) labelled Christian Horner (left) for his role in the text scandal
Horner – alongside his Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell – had survived a media firestorm last year
Horner was sacked as Red Bull pit boss earlier this week after 20 years in charge of the team
Ecclestone and Horner have had a long friendship dating back to before his arrival at Red Bull, and he is thought to have even anointed the 51-year-old his heir to his Formula One empire prior to the Liberty Media takeover in 2017.
The two attended one another’s weddings, and regularly spend time together at Horner’s £5m Oxfordshire home, where he has lived since 2006, and Ecclestone’s retreat in Gstaad, Switzerland.
The 94-year-old explained that he was not overly surprised by the outcome for his friend at Red Bull, indicating that he believed the team felt that too much power was consolidated in the hands of one person.
‘It would probably have been better if they had said, “Come in, Christian, sit down”. But the bottom line is that there are people there who thought he was getting away with things, that he was acting as if it was not the Red Bull Ring, but the Christian Horner Ring.
‘He got away with so many things. And all the time you’re delivering, people close their eyes. But when you stop delivering, people start looking. One or two begin thinking, ‘Well, I could do a better job.’
The former F1 supremo also added that Dietrich Mateschitz, who was known to be a huge supporter of Horner, would likely have been keen to rectify the issues rather than part ways with the former pit boss. Mateschitz passed away in 2022.
As per Telegraph Sport, Horner’s lawyers are currently in the midst of agreeing a suitable settlement for the Briton, after Red Bull called time on his lengthy contract.
Horner was contracted at the constructor for a further five-and-a-half years, with his multi-million-pound deal due to finish in 2030.
The former F1 supremo is known to be a close friend of Horner’s, even attending his wedding
Ecclestone suggested that some at Red Bull may have felt too much power was consolidated in his hands
As per the latest accounts available for Red Bull Technology Ltd, after receiving an 11 per cent pay rise in 2023 when he signed new terms, his annual salary rose from £8.04million to £8.92m.
However, it is thought that this may have risen even more after the constructor won yet another drivers’ championship at the end of last season, with some estimating the number to be close to the £12m-mark.
With lawyers likely to push for the remainder of his contract to be paid out in full, Horner could be in line for a staggering £66m-plus deal to finally cut ties with his former role.
As per the Sun, the Austrian-run parent company, Red Bull GmbH, were keen to conduct a clean-out at the team in the wake of Horner’s departure, with those dismissed as part of Horner’s removal believed to be close to him, and in some cases, to have been hired by the 51-year-old.
The outlet claimed that a source close to the situation said that the relationships the sacked employees had with Horner had been a ‘double-edged sword’.
The constructor’s dismissals will also allow incoming team principal Laurent Mekies to build his own staff, after joining the set-up from the constructor’s sister team Racing Bulls.
The source described Mekies as being keen to impose ‘his own vision’ on the team and as a ‘far more anonymous’ character.
Horner gave an emotional farewell speech to staff at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, where he stressed that he will continue to be involved with the constructor, but admitted that the ‘baton’ is being ‘handed over’.
Horner is believed to have had the staunch backing of Thai owner Chalerm Yoovidhya
‘Yesterday I was informed by Red Bull that operationally I would no longer be involved with the business or the team moving forward from this gathering,’ Horner told his former employees.
‘I will still remain employed by the company but operationally the baton will be handed over.
‘That obviously came as a shock to myself. What I have had time to do is reflect over the last 12 hours or so. And I wanted to stand in front of all of you and express my gratitude to each and every single member of the team that has given so much during the last 20-and-a-half years that I’ve been here.
‘When I arrived 20 years ago, with fewer grey hairs, I walked into a team and I didn’t know what to expect. But I was immediately welcomed and, in two run-down buildings, we started to build what became a powerhouse in Formula One. Watching and being part of this team has been the biggest privilege in my life.’
Horner and Max Verstappen‘s father Jos were allegedly caught up in a heated exchange at the British Grand Prix just days before the former Red Bull team principal was dismissed, Ralf Schumacher has claimed.
After the allegations against Horner first emerged, Jos – an influential figure in the career of his four-time world champion son – openly called for Horner to leave the set up, and told Mail Sport that the team was ‘in danger of being torn apart’ as long as he continued in his role.
‘Internally, you should hold a mirror up to yourself and not always gloss over everything,’ Jos told German outlet BILD. ‘It is time – if it is not already too late – to question ourselves.
‘The good people are leaving the team. I’m very unhappy with what’s happening.’
Jos Verstappen (left) is thought to have been caught up in a heated exchange with Christian Horner, according to Ralf Schumacher (right)
The pair were infamously spotted in a heated discussion at last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix
‘Max won’t be satisfied with having a car like that. Now it’s up to Horner to get the team back on track.’
While tensions gradually eased as Horner maintained his position and Verstappen captured a fourth world championship, Schumacher – a racing pundit and brother of F1 superstar Michael – claimed this week that they had not disappeared completely.
He claimed to have witnessed a tense moment between Horner and Verstappen at Silverstone last weekend, just days before his Red Bull dismissal.
‘There was another argument or a heated exchange, at least visually and verbally between Jos Verstappen, Christian Horner and the press officer,’ Schumacher told Boxengasse-podcast, via the Sun.
‘You could see that Jos was anything but happy with the situation.’
Schumacher added that he found Horner to be ‘a bit of a difficult person’ who had ‘failed to keep the team together well’ – while admitting also that doing so was a difficult task.
‘He can’t really deal with criticism,’ Schumacher continued. ‘(Sky Sports Germany) are, or I am, now, on a so-called black list, so he no longer talks to us or with me and such.
‘It’s actually a joke, because a man who has won so much should actually be able to discuss it in front of the camera.’
