Christian Horner has opened up about the profound personal impact of his dismissal from Red Bull, revealing that he suffered panic attacks, anxiety and a loss of identity after his 20-year spell leading the Formula 1 team came to an end in July 2025. In a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian ahead of the release of his autobiography, the former team principal also discussed the circumstances of his departure, his disappointment with Helmut Marko and the emotional pain of watching a project he had helped create succeed without him.
There is a Christian Horner familiar to virtually everyone in Formula 1: provocative, determined, ruthless and often perceived as arrogant. But there is also a very different side to the former Red Bull boss, one that has rarely been visible during his two decades in the paddock and which he has now exposed in unusually personal detail.
Christian Horner reveals emotional toll of Red Bull dismissal
Christian Horner’s dismissal from Red Bull in July 2025, after 20 years at the head of the team, appears to have left deeper wounds than he initially allowed to show. His departure came during one of the most difficult periods of his personal life and, in his interview, Horner described how long it took him to process what had happened.
“It was particularly brutal and sad to finish in that way. I don’t think I really processed what happened until a month later,” Christian Horner explained.
In the days leading up to his dismissal, Horner had also been dealing with the death of Beverley Allen, his former partner and the mother of his daughter Olivia, who died from eye cancer.
“I had an 11-year-old daughter who was dealing with the loss of her mother. Nothing was more important than that,” he recalled, while admitting that there was also an element of relief in stepping away from an environment that had become particularly difficult during the previous two years.
Horner says Red Bull gave him no clear reason for dismissal
One of the most striking elements of Christian Horner’s account concerns the circumstances surrounding his departure. He maintains that Red Bull never gave him a precise explanation for the decision, which came during a difficult period for the team but, in his view, not one serious enough to justify such a drastic change.
Red Bull had taken pole position at the previous Grand Prix and, according to Horner, remained capable of winning.
“I think there was a feeling that I had too much control in my hands. But I wasn’t really given a reason,” Christian Horner said, pointing out that other Formula 1 teams had endured much worse periods without making similarly dramatic leadership changes.
Horner believes the internal balance at Red Bull changed considerably following the death of company co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who had been one of his strongest supporters.
In particular, he did not hide his disappointment with Helmut Marko.
“Helmut has always been very direct, but I was disappointed that he had been a guest of our family just two days before the dismissal without giving me the slightest indication of what was about to happen.”
Christian Horner addresses Max Verstappen family’s possible role
Christian Horner was more cautious when discussing speculation that the Verstappen family may have played a role in his departure. Asked whether Jos Verstappen or Max Verstappen had been involved in his exit, Horner rejected that suggestion.
“No, it was a Red Bull decision. After Dietrich’s death, the leadership changed.”
Max Verstappen has remained at the centre of Red Bull’s competitive push since Horner’s departure, with the Dutchman continuing to play a defining role in the team’s 2026 campaign and its wider technical direction.
Regarding the controversy that surrounded him in 2024, involving allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards an employee, Christian Horner reiterated that he had been cleared by two independent investigations and rejected the suggestion that the matter had been central to Red Bull’s decision to dismiss him.
Horner reveals panic attacks and anxiety after losing Red Bull role
Christian Horner also spoke openly about suffering panic attacks and anxiety, symptoms that he initially struggled to recognise.
“Suddenly you feel dizzy, you become aware of your breathing and you think something is strange. I thought it was because of too much coffee, then it happened again. I was examined and they couldn’t find anything physically wrong. They told me I was probably suffering from anxiety.”
The experience gave Horner a greater understanding of the psychological difficulties that his long-time Formula 1 rival Toto Wolff has previously discussed publicly.
“The identity of many middle-aged men comes through their work. Suddenly everything is taken away from you. Who are you? What is your purpose? You can close yourself off or you can get back up.”
Red Bull Powertrains success brings mixed emotions for Horner
The personal difficulties were accompanied by a considerable sense of professional loss. Christian Horner had overseen Red Bull’s transformation from an operation of fewer than 400 employees into an organisation employing 2,200 people, winning 14 world championships in the process.
One project held particular significance for him: Red Bull Powertrains. Horner had strongly backed the programme launched in 2021 to allow Red Bull to build its own Formula 1 power unit.
“I had put my heart and soul into that company. I was on the verge of finally seeing that engine on track when I left. I felt enormous sadness.”
That feeling resurfaced when Max Verstappen recently won in Malaysia, delivering Red Bull’s first victory with its own power unit. Horner watched the race on television, received numerous messages from former colleagues and personally wrote to the four-time world champion afterwards.
“I was very proud. Nobody can take away my 124 victories and 14 championships, but I felt deprived of that moment, of the opportunity to see that engine win.”
The milestone came during a heavily revised 2026 Formula 1 season, with the Malaysian event taking place at Sepang before the championship moved on to Singapore.
Christian Horner recalls emotional Red Bull farewell
Horner also remembered the reaction from Red Bull employees when he informed them that he was leaving the organisation he had led for two decades.
“That group had become an extended family. Seeing grown men cry was deeply moving.”
His relationship with Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff now appears to have improved at least partially. Christian Horner revealed that Mintzlaff had recently contacted him to acknowledge his contribution to the power-unit project.
“He called me recently to thank me for everything I had done for the engine,” Horner said.
The former Red Bull team principal’s Formula 1 future remains a subject of considerable interest. Recent speculation has also linked him with other teams, although Horner has publicly pushed back against suggestions that he is actively targeting Ferrari’s team principal role. His immediate reflections, however, are focused less on what comes next and more on processing the end of a 20-year chapter that had become inseparable from his identity.
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