"He was just an idiot": Bernie Ecclestone's brutal assessment of Christian Horner's downfall

Christian Horner's recent sacking by Red Bull came as a shock. In line with his downfall, Bernie Ecclestone (famously known as F1 Supremo) has shared his strong take.

Horner led the charge of the Red Bull Formula 1 team since its inception in 2005 until his sacking on July 9, 2025. During this time, he amassed solid success with the team, winning the Constructors' championship six times and the Drivers' championship eight times. Moreover, the outfit also amassed 124 victories, 287 podiums, and 107 pole positions.

The former racing driver Sebastian Vettel and the reigning world champion Max Verstappen played a major role in the bulk of the success the Horner-led outfit experienced in Formula 1. With him getting dropped, Bernie Ecclestone has come up with his take, via the Telegraph:

"This other business that he got involved with 18 months ago, he was just an idiot. He was a 50-year-old who thought he was 20, thought he was one of the boys. Not that he appears to harbor much sympathy towards the woman at Red Bull who accused Horner of inappropriate behavior in the first place. I often wonder, when these situations happen, why if the girl is so upset with the advances of someone, they don’t just say, ‘Oi you, stop it."

Bernie Ecclestone has come up with an extremely strong stance around Christian Horner and especially, around his last 18 months with Red Bull. The former has specifically brought to light the inappropriate behavior scandal.

Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior by a Red Bull employee in February 2024. The allegations against the Brit were ultimately dismissed after an appeal.

Helmut Marko's take on Christian Horner's Red Bull sacking

F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna - Practice - Source: Getty

Helmut Marko is one of the main pillars around whom the Red Bull Formula 1 team revolves. He and Christian Horner led the Austrian outfit in their own way for a long time, and in line with the latter's recent sacking, Marko thanked Horner for his contribution to the team.

In an interaction with Racingnews365, Marko said:

"Christian and I have worked together very successfully for over 20 years – both in Formula 1 and in Formula 3000. I would like to sincerely thank Christian for that. During this time, we were able to celebrate an incredible number of outstanding achievements."

Christian Horner has even been linked with the Ferrari Formula 1 team. He has a wealth of experience when it comes to running a top team in the pinnacle of motorsport, and this could come in handy for any team on the current grid.

Horner's place as the Red Bull team principal has been taken over by Laurent Mekies, who previously led the charge of Racing Bulls (Red Bull's junior F1 team).