Christian Horner F1 News: Shaky final words of axed Red Bull boss leaked

Christian Horner

Christian Horner's shaky final words at Red Bull leaked after F1 axe

Horner has been sacked as Red Bull's CEO and principal with immediate effect

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 11 July 2025 11:58

Christian Horner's final words as Red Bull CEO and F1 team principal have been leaked following his shock sacking.

Earlier this week it was announced that an immediate management reshuffle would be taking place at the Milton Keynes-based outfit, with Horner axed as a result.

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The 51-year-old had become synonymous with Red Bull F1 team having been their one and only team principal since they joined the sport in 2005.

20 years later, he was dealt a similar fate to the many drivers he has seen come and go in the cursed second seat in recent years, which may have played a part in his exit.

Despite his leadership delivering 14 titles across the drivers' and constructors' championships during his tenure at the team, Horner's inability to find a suitable second driver alongside reigning champion Max Verstappen appears to have been the final straw.

Following the shocking news of his departure on Wednesday, Horner appeared at the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes to deliver an emotional farewell, with a video of his speech having now been leaked on social media.

Christian Horner will no longer serve as Red Bull team principal in F1

Horner blindsided by F1 axe

In a video from Horner’s farewell to Red Bull, the ex-team principal said: "Yesterday I was informed by Red Bull that, operationally, I will no longer be involved with the business or the team moving forward from after this gathering."

"I will still remain employed by the company, but operationally, the baton will be handed over. And that obviously came as a shock to myself, but obviously what I've had a chance to do is to reflect over the last 12 hours or so, and I wanted to stand in front of all of you to break this news and just express my gratitude to each and every single member of the team that has given so much during the last 20 and a half years that I've been here."

"When I arrived 20 years ago, with a few less grey hairs, I walked into the team, I didn't know what to expect, but I was immediately welcomed. And out of two rundown buildings, we started to build what became a powerhouse in Formula 1."

Horner then attempted to sign off his speech but appeared unable to complete his sentence, visibly emotional.

"Watching and being part of this team has been the biggest privilege in my life," he declared, before being met with applause from the crowd.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Christian Horner