Christian Horner has laid accountability for his sacking as Crimson Bull boss firmly on the doorways of Helmet Marko and Crimson Bull GmbH MD, Oliver Mintzlaff.
Although the Briton appeared to have survived the sexting scandal that overshadowed the Austrian crew for a lot of 2024, and regardless of being cleared by two separate unbiased investigations, simply three days after the 2025 British Grand Prix, he was fired.
All through 2024, it was broadly speculated that the scandal was a automobile for sure factions to oust Horner, with one claimed to be Crimson Bull GmbH in Austria, uneasy because it felt the crew was too ‘Britain-centric’ and one other led by the Verstappens.
Within the newest collection of Drive to Survive, Horner is in little question as to the place the blame lay.
“I really feel an actual sense of loss and harm,” he says. “It was all reasonably sudden… I did not actually get the possibility to say a correct goodbye.
“I by no means imagined to be on this place,” he provides. “In fact your speedy response while you’re delivered a s**t sandwich like that’s to say ‘f*** them’. I had one thing taken away from me which wasn’t my alternative which was very valuable to me.”
Requested if the Verstappens have been answerable for his sacking, he replies: “His father has by no means been my greatest fan. He is been outspoken about me. However I do not imagine the Verstappens have been accountable in any manner. I feel this was a choice made by Oliver Mintzlaff with Helmut Marko advising from the sideline.
“I feel finally issues modified throughout the enterprise, throughout the group,” he continues. “The founder died, and after Dietrich (Mateschitz)’s demise, I used to be most likely deemed to have perhaps an excessive amount of management.”
Horner additionally claims that it wasn’t his resolution to drop Liam Lawson after simply two races.
“I used to be all the time pushed to take drivers from the younger driver programme,” he says. “Helmut was a giant driver in it.”
The Briton, who had an extended fractious relationship with Toto Wolff, reveals that the Austrian was the primary to contact him following his sacking, the Mercedes boss texting: “I did not know what to say, as a result of on one aspect you’ve got been an actual a**gap. However however, the game will miss one in all its predominant protagonists.
“Who ought to I combat? And ‘like to hate’, as you all the time mentioned?” it concludes.
In response Horner texted: “I’ve beloved locking horns with you all these years. So thanks for the rivalry, the competitors and the needle. Nobody else even got here shut, because the statistics level out. I want you all the perfect for the long run. P.S. You want a haircut.”
