Axed F1 boss Christian Horner reveals how Juan Pablo Montoya ended his racing career

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Christian Horner - Juan Pablo Montoya ended my racing career

Christian Horner wasn't always on the other side of the pit wall

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Sunday 12 April 2026 08:55

When you think of Christian Horner, you'll likely picture him in the Red Bull garage, headphones on, staring intensely at the timing telemetry during an F1 race weekend.

But before making history as the youngest team principal in Formula 1, Horner tried his luck behind the wheel.

Like most budding young drivers, the Englishman began his motorsport career in competitive karting, moving on to cars after securing a Formula Renault scholarship in 1991.

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He then competed in the 1992 British Formula Renault Championship with Manor Motorsport, finishing the campaign as a race winner and the highest placed rookie.

The future F1 team principal then moved up to British Formula 3 for the 1993 campaign with P1 Motorsport, winning five races before moving to the Fortec and ADR teams in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

The Brit also raced in British Formula 2 in 1996 before competing in Formula 3000 in 1997, when he also founded the Arden team.

Horner stayed in F3000 even after starting his own team, but it was a moment at the Circuito do Estoril in Portugal in 1998 that made it clear to the Brit that he was not cut out for racing at the highest level.

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During an appearance on the High Performance podcast, Horner revealed how Juan Pablo Montoya made it clear to him that he was missing a key element of a true racer during a pre-season test in Portugal.

"I suppose the defining moment for me was even before the season had started at the beginning of 1998, was when I drove out the pit lane in Portugal, and there used to be a really high speed turn that was sort of one dowshift, straight into the corner, and there's barriers that are about three metres from the edge of the track, so if you're going to have a crash there it was going to be a big one," Horner began.

"And Juan Pablo Montoya came past me as I was coming out of the pit lane into this corner, and I could just see the angle that this car was at, the commitment that he had, the rim is trying to push its way through the tyre, and he just kept this thing absolutely planted.

"And I just knew. I thought, 'I can't do that'. My foot and brain, there's something between them that's saying, 'don't do it.'"

Montoya went on to drive for Williams and McLaren in F1, picking up seven grand prix victories across his career.

Horner was then asked by podcast host Jake Humphrey if he attempted to replicate Montoya's approach, admitting: "In reality, i just knew that, 's***, I haven't got the ability to disconnect the risk.'"

The Colombian driver’s tenacity then prompted Horner to step back from driving at the end of the 1998 season, turning his attention to progressing with the Arden team.

What is Christian Horner doing now?

After being sacked from the Red Bull team principal role he held since 2005, Horner has been rumoured to be looking into every possibility that could see him return to the paddock once any potential gardening leave allows him to do so.

Initially it appeared as if Alpine was the best avenue for the ex-Red Bull boss to return to the grid, with reports spreading that he was interested in Otro Capital's 24 per cent stake in the Enstone-based team.

It is no secret that Horner doesn’t want to return to the sport unless the opportunity is right for him, ideally with an element of team ownership encompassed in any future leadership roles.

Even his friend and ally, Alpine executive Flavio Briatore, confirmed negotiations were ongoing. But then it emerged that Mercedes are also interested in the Otro Capital stake.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff denied any intent on Mercedes' part to block Horner’s F1 return, with the Brit likely eager to take his time to evaluate his options before committing to a new challenge.

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 Christian Horner Juan Pablo Montoya