Bernie Ecclestone has labelled Christian Horner “an idiot” following the former Red Bull team principal’s shock dismissal from the Milton Keynes-based outfit, citing the sexting scandal that engulfed the 51-year-old last year as evidence of poor judgement.
The 94-year-old former Formula One supremo did not mince words when discussing his long-time friend’s downfall, telling the Telegraph that Horner’s involvement in the 2024 controversy showed he was “a 50-year-old who thought he was 20, thought he was one of the boys.” The scathing assessment comes just days after Red Bull announced Horner’s immediate departure on Wednesday, ending his two-decade reign at the helm of the championship-winning team.
Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee in February 2024, following the revelation of alleged sex texts. The 51-year-old, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was twice cleared of the allegations – 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 throughout.
Ecclestone theorized that Horner’s insistence on playing a key role in all areas of the business led to his downfall. He told the Telegraph: “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.”
The former F1 chief added: “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.'”
Ecclestone, who enjoyed a close friendship with Horner dating back to before his arrival at Red Bull, revealed he had only spoken to the team principal on Monday, with no mention made of any impending exit. “It must be something very serious, in my opinion,” Ecclestone claimed as he spoke to RacingNews365. “I spoke to him the day before [on Monday] and he didn’t know.”
The abrupt nature of the dismissal particularly troubled Ecclestone. He said: “It’s the effective immediately I don’t understand. Why would they ask him to leave with immediate effect? It’s like he’s murdered somebody.”
Red Bull confirmed on Wednesday that Laurent Mekies would replace Horner as CEO of Red Bull Racing, stepping up from his role as team principal at sister team Racing Bulls. It was announced on Wednesday that Horner – the Red Bull team boss since their debut in 2005 – had been released with immediate effect, his successor quickly announced in the form of Laurent Mekies.
The dismissal comes amid a turbulent period for Red Bull, with the team currently sitting fourth in the constructors’ championship, 288 points behind leaders McLaren at the halfway point of the 2025 season. Max Verstappen trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 69 points and has all but conceded the drivers’ title for this season.
Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher has alleged that a heated argument took place between Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, and former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner during the British Grand Prix weekend, ahead of Horner’s Red Bull exit. Speaking on the Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher said: “There was another argument or a heated exchange, at least visually and verbally between Jos Verstappen, Christian Horner and the press officer.”
“You could see that Jos was anything but happy with the situation,” Schumacher added, describing Horner as “a bit of a difficult person” who had “failed to keep the team together well.”
The tensions between Horner and Jos Verstappen have been well-documented since the allegations against Horner emerged. Jos openly called for Horner to leave the set-up in March 2024, telling the Daily Mail that the team was “in danger of being torn apart” as long as he continued in his role.
Ecclestone also suggested that the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022 had created a power vacuum within the organisation. “Genuinely, it was a little bit of a muddle,” Ecclestone said. “Christian was the chief executive. If I’m the chief executive of a company, I want to be in charge.”
The financial implications of Horner’s departure are substantial. According to its most recently filed accounts, the highest-paid director of Red Bull Technology – the company that controls Red Bull Racing – earned £8.915 million in 2023. With his contract reportedly running until 2030, That could see Horner entitled to a pay-out of more than £50 million, with The Telegraph suggesting it could rise as high as £60 million once other income is accounted for.
Some estimates suggest the figure could be even higher. “If his lawyers push for his contract to be paid up in full, they could be looking at anywhere up to £60 million. And there may be other income streams or bonuses which would have been paid had Horner remained in position.”
Horner gave an emotional farewell speech to Red Bull staff at their Milton Keynes headquarters on Wednesday afternoon. Sky Sports News has obtained footage of Horner’s farewell speech, during which he broke down in tears and received lengthy ovations from his former colleagues. He told employees: “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.”
“I will still remain employed by the company but operationally the baton will be handed over. That obviously came as a shock to myself,” he continued, before thanking staff for their dedication over his 20-year tenure.
Under Horner’s leadership, Red Bull won eight drivers’ championships – four each with Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) and Max Verstappen (2021-2024) – and six constructors’ titles. The team claimed all 124 of its grand prix victories under his stewardship, nearly achieving a clean sweep of all races in 2023.
However, the team has struggled in recent months, with key departures including legendary technical director Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber. The RB21 is reportedly a very tricky car to get a hold of, with it having a very small window in which drivers can extract the optimum performance from it.
Ecclestone remained philosophical about his friend’s legacy, saying: “For Christ’s sake, who else has done what he has in Formula One? Just for results?” However, he added: “Christian won a lot of championships. He was used to winning. So, it’s not easy when you’re not winning – and when you know that it’s not entirely your fault.”
The future now remains uncertain for both Horner and Red Bull. While speculation links Horner with potential moves to Ferrari, Alpine or Aston Martin, he is likely to be on gardening leave for some time pending the terms of his settlement. For Red Bull, the immediate challenge is stabilising the team under Mekies’ leadership whilst attempting to retain Verstappen, whose future at the team has been increasingly questioned.
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