Toto Wolff says Christian Horner’s downfall began long before Red Bull fired him
Christian Horner’s exit from Red Bull Racing remains one of the most opaque leadership changes in modern Formula One. Despite leading the team for two decades and overseeing its rise into a dominant force, Horner has said he was never given a clear explanation for his dismissal.
According to reporting by the Daily Mail, Red Bull removed Horner earlier this year following a prolonged period of internal tension, bringing an end to one of the longest tenures of any team principal in the sport.
Formula One teams are not only sporting organisations but complex corporate entities, with authority split between ownership, manufacturers, sponsors, and senior management. Team principals often wield enormous influence, but ultimate control rests above them. That balance appears to have shifted at Red Bull.
A rivalry that defined an era
Horner’s long running rivalry with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff shaped much of Formula One’s recent history. Their clashes extended far beyond the track, frequently spilling into press conferences, regulatory disputes, and public commentary.
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Wolff has now offered his own interpretation of why Horner’s time at Red Bull came to an end. Speaking recently, he suggested the problem was not a single incident, but an accumulation of power and expectation.
Wolff said he had discussed the subject with Lewis Hamilton, the seven time world champion who drove for Mercedes during the height of its rivalry with Red Bull and has since moved to Ferrari.
Why Abu Dhabi still matters
The conversation, Wolff explained, inevitably returned to the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, one of the most controversial moments in Formula One history. A late race decision by officials allowed Max Verstappen to overtake Hamilton on the final lap and claim the world championship.
“I talked to Lewis about it on Wednesday. I think about it every day, and so does he,” Wolff said.
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“It’s stayed with the whole team. Both drivers deserved the title but to use a football analogy, the referee made a bad call.”
The incident continues to shape how both teams interpret fairness, authority, and accountability within the sport. Wolff suggested that while Mercedes eventually accepted the outcome, Red Bull’s leadership never fully acknowledged how the decision appeared from the other side.
Power, control and consequence
In Wolff’s view, that mindset extended beyond racing incidents and into leadership expectations.
“But Christian was never able to admit that if the roles had been reversed, it would’ve been catastrophic for them and he’d have thrown every insult imaginable,” he said.
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Wolff linked that attitude to Horner’s eventual removal, arguing that Red Bull’s ownership was no longer willing to concentrate so much authority in one individual.
“It’s the sense of entitlement he has,” Wolff said. “That bit him in the end, because he felt entitled to all the power, and Red Bull simply weren’t willing to hand it to him.”
The allegations and the aftermath
Horner’s final year at Red Bull was overshadowed by allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour made by a female member of staff. An internal investigation led by senior lawyers cleared him twice of wrongdoing, according to reports.
The Daily Mail reported that Horner left the team with a severance package worth around £80 million, while Laurent Mekies was promoted to replace him. The woman involved later withdrew legal action and has since taken another role within Formula One, though her current employer has not been named for legal reasons.
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A familiar absence in the paddock
Despite years of hostility, Wolff admitted that Horner’s absence has changed the atmosphere in the paddock.
“He was very often an a**hole, and I told him so,” Wolff said, before adding that the rivalry had given structure to more than a decade of competition.
Horner is eligible to return to Formula One next April and is understood to be considering his options. Whether he re emerges or not, his departure marks the end of a defining chapter in the sport’s modern era.
Sources, Daily Mail, Channel 4
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