Christian Horner: Verstappen camp ‘not responsible’ for Red Bull exit as emotional scenes emerge on Drive to Survive
christian horner has rejected suggestions that Max Verstappen or his camp were responsible for his dismissal from Red Bull in 2025, speaking publicly for the first time about the shock exit. His comments, shown in the new season of Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive, arrive as the series returns with eight episodes ahead of the 2026 season in Australia.
Christian Horner on Verstappen, Jos and the claims surrounding his dismissal
Horner, 52, told the Drive to Survive cameras that he does not believe Max Verstappen or the Verstappen camp were responsible for his sacking. He noted that Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, had long been outspoken about him, but rejected the idea that the Verstappens drove his removal. The record shows Max won four successive drivers' titles from 2021 to 2024 under Horner’s leadership; some commentators had argued the team’s manoeuvres were intended to influence Verstappen’s contract talks, but Horner dismissed that as not the cause of his exit.
Helmut Marko and Oliver Mintzlaff identified as central figures
Horner said the decision to remove him was taken by Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff with Helmut Marko advising from the sidelines. He described the moment of dismissal as sudden and emotionally wrenching: he said he felt a "real sense of loss" and that he "didn't really get the chance to say a proper goodbye. " Horner also said his immediate reaction to being handed what he characterised as a humiliating package was anger, using a profane phrase to capture that instinct.
Dietrich Mateschitz's death and the 18-month controversy that preceded the exit
Horner traced part of the explanation to a broader shift inside the Red Bull group following the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz, saying that after the founder's death he was perhaps deemed to have "too much control. " The dismissal capped a controversial 18-month period that began when a female employee accused Horner of sexual harassment; that allegation was made public in February 2024. He was cleared twice—first by an internal review led by a lawyer and then by another lawyer who dismissed the complainant's appeal.
Legal clearances, payout and subsequent exits at Red Bull
Despite being cleared, Horner left Red Bull with a reported £52m payout. The fallout extended beyond Horner: Marko, described as Mateschitz's trusted motorsport adviser who had worked closely with Horner for many years, was himself ousted by Red Bull just months later at the end of the 2025 season. Horner also recalled contact from long-time rival Toto Wolff after his dismissal, saying Wolff sent a touching message following the events in the paddock.
Geri Halliwell, the Drive to Survive footage and ongoing Alpine interest
New footage released ahead of the Drive to Survive eighth season shows Horner breaking down in tears and being consoled by his wife, Geri Halliwell, 53, as they watched his first race after leaving Red Bull. The couple live near Banbury on the Oxfordshire border with Northamptonshire in a property valued at £9. 2m. The series captures their emotional reaction on camera.
Since his departure, Horner has been linked with a potential role at Alpine and talks have been described as ongoing. Alpine issued a statement noting that the team is regularly approached by potential investors, citing that Otro Capital had declared exploratory talks had taken place, and adding that one interested party is a group of investors which also includes christian horner.
Broader sporting notes and context
Netflix’s new Drive to Survive season arrives with eight episodes on Friday, timed ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season opener in Australia. Other sports developments noted alongside the coverage include Inter Miami winning its first MLS Cup in December against the Vancouver Whitecaps, and a WWE SmackDown go‑home show for Elimination Chamber stopping in Louisville on Friday, Feb. 26.
What makes this notable is how a mix of internal investigations, leadership changes after the founder’s death and factional advising inside the company combined to produce an outcome that some had misattributed to driver influence. The sequence—public allegation in February 2024, months of dispute, dismissal in July last year, and follow‑on exits at Red Bull—frames Horner’s account and the wider reshaping of the team.
The new season of Drive to Survive presents Horner’s side of events in full, while contractual realities remain on the record: Max Verstappen is contracted through 2028 and committed to racing for Red Bull in 2026 only after Horner’s departure, a detail that helped fuel speculation at the time but which Horner now disputes as causal.
