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F1 fans were shocked after Red Bull announced the departure of team principal and CEO Christian Horner on Wednesday, July 9. The 51-year-old had been an integral part of Red Bull since the Austrian team debuted on the F1 grid in 2005.
The Brit had been at the helm of the Milton Keynes-based outfit since the start of its F1 journey after joining them from Formula 3 team, Arden. Although he oversaw Red Bull's success in the sport and led them to eight drivers' and six constructors' titles in the last two decades, he was under pressure from Red Bull GmbH since the start of the 2024 season.
Amidst a downward trend in performances in the last 12 months, the Austrian energy drink brand announced that it had sacked Christian Horner from his duties with immediate effect. On its social media platform X, the F1 team posted a video dedicated to Horner and their past 20 years together.
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The caption read:
"20 years, countless memories. Thank you, Christian from all of us at Red Bull Racing."
F1 fans gave their reactions to Christian Horner's abrupt firing on X, with one fan claiming:
"He didn’t deserve this."
"Regardless of which team or driver you support, this man is a legend of the sport. Without him, F1 is a lot more boring."
"Built a Championship team from nothing. You cannot be the boss, a highly successful one and not have haters. Let’s see how those haters lead this team now and if it will even be a team in 20 more years," said a fan.
Here are some more reactions:
"Awesome highlight reel. Let's fire him!" Insane," wrote a fan.
"Redbull wont survive this sacking. Max will be gone. And redbull will be not so fast then," claimed another.
"Couldn’t even give him a bit heads up or a proper send off just sacked him inbetween GP you’re an absolute joke!" mentioned another.
Christian Horner was last spotted at the weekend's British Grand Prix, where he was front and center for Red Bull as evidenced by his media duties.
Christian Horner pays tribute to his rivals after Red Bull sacking
In his farewell message, Christian Horner said that he was grateful to the rival F1 teams, as he credited them for the competition and racing.
As per F1.com, the Brit said in his tribute:
“Equally, thank you to our rivals, with[out] whom there would be no racing at all. You’ve pushed us, challenged us, and enabled us to achieve accolades we never dreamed possible. The competition has made every victory sweeter and every setback an opportunity to develop and grow."
“It’s been an honour to be part of this incredible era of motorsport. I leave with immense pride in what we’ve achieved and also with what’s in the pipeline for 2026 – and huge respect for everyone who’s made F1 the pinnacle it is today,” he added.
Christian Horner had a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2030 season and had been reported to be in talks with Alpine and Ferrari before his sacking.
