Overview
- Horner says Red Bull’s leadership changed after Dietrich Mateschitz died and that those new corporate dynamics, plus concerns he had too much control, led to his firing in July 2025.
- He describes the exit as ‘brutal and sad,’ says he was given no clear reason at the time, and recounts the personal toll of the period including panic attacks and bereavement.
- Red Bull Powertrains, a programme Horner helped launch in 2021, has since scored race wins in 2026 and Horner says he felt ‘hurt and robbed’ not to witness the engine’s first successes in person.
- Horner reports a thaw with CEO Oliver Mintzlaff after a recent thank‑you call but remains critical of Helmut Marko and has reopened public feuds with figures such as Toto Wolff while questioning rivals’ conflicts of interest.
- He signals possible long‑term interest in returning to F1 only under ownership or major-control terms, says he is not rushing back, and media reports continue to dispute the exact size of his post‑departure settlement.