Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull after 20 years as team principal, according to former rival Toto Wolff, was the result of his “sense of superiority.” The Mercedes CEO frequently clashed with Horner, particularly during the dramatic 2021 season, when their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, battled for the championship until the final lap.
Abu Dhabi 2021
Wolff reiterated that his team “has not yet moved on” from the dramatic season finale, when FIA race director Michael Masi incorrectly applied the rules, allowing Max Verstappen to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the last-lap restart. “I spoke with Lewis just yesterday,” Wolff told The Telegraph. “I think about it every day, and so does he. It has left a lasting impression on the whole team. Both deserved the title, but the official made the wrong call—using a football metaphor, the goal was scored and the match is over.”
Despite Horner publicly admitting that Masi violated the rules in the restart, Toto Wolff claims Christian Horner never directly acknowledged it to him. “He was never able to admit it,” Wolff said. Still, Toto Wolff can understand Red Bull’s perspective: “From their point of view, they deserved to be champions. They had unfavorable moments throughout the season, and that race result still reflected the level of performance they showed that year. But Christian was never able to admit the same thing—that if the situation had been reversed and it happened to them, it would have been catastrophic, and they would have thrown everything at it. The ability to be introspective or see the other side with a bit of compassion is completely missing from his personality.”
Horner’s exit according to Wolff
According to Wolff, this personality trait played a key role in Horner’s departure from Red Bull, amid reports of internal power struggles. “It’s his sense of superiority,” Wolff explained. “And that’s ultimately what cost him: he felt entitled to total control, and Red Bull didn’t want to give it to him.” Red Bull announced Horner’s exit in July, and he officially left in September with a reported payout worth tens of millions of pounds. Recent reports suggested Horner might take an executive role at Aston Martin, but the team later appointed Adrian Newey as team principal. Owner Lawrence Stroll reportedly informed staff that Horner will not be joining the team.
Four years on, the scars clearly remain. And for Toto Wolff, Christian Horner’s exit from Red Bull feels like the final chapter in one of the most intense rivalries modern F1 has ever seen.
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