Christian Horner claims Red Bull F1 team is cooked without him: 'It's lost its mojo'

Horner in de MotoGP: "Deze coureurs zijn krankzinnig in wat ze doen" — Photo: © IMAGO

Christian Horner

Christian Horner claims Red Bull F1 team is cooked without him: 'It's lost its mojo'

The vibes aren't the same, says Horner

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson F1 Editor

Motorsport journalist covering F1 since 2024

Sunday 27 September 2026 08:58

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Former Red Bull chief Christian Horner has claimed that the team has 'lost its mojo' since his exit from the F1 paddock. Maybe he should do it more often.

The 52-year-old Englishman delivered a withering verdict on Friday as he spoke to English newspaper The Times to promote his upcoming memoir 'Drive'.

Just 24 hours after those comments, Red Bull bounced back to form in style with their first double podium since 2024 as Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar claimed P2 and P3 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

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Having spent two decades with the team, Horner became synonymous with Red Bull before his shock exit in 2025, when he was dismissed from his role as CEO and team principal mid-season.

Horner enjoyed huge success at the helm of the Milton Keynes-based outfit, with Red Bull winning six constructors' championships and eight drivers' championships during his 20-year tenure.

Of course, his time with the team was also not without controversy. In 2024, Red Bull launched an internal investigation after a female employee accused him of inappropriate and controlling behaviour. Horner strongly denied the allegations and Red Bull later dismissed the complaint after the investigation, clearing him of any wrongdoing.

The following year, he would exit for a very different reason, with his departure having been one of several high-profile senior exits from Red Bull in recent seasons, with other key figures such as Adrian Newey (chief technical officer), Rob Marshall (chief engineering officer), Helmut Marko (motorsport advisor) and Jonathan Wheatley (sporting director), among others, having also left.

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Christian Horner: Red Bull has lost its mojo

Laurent Mekies is now the man leading Red Bull, but to get rid of Horner, who had six years remaining on his contract, Red Bull reportedly had to give him a huge payout, said to be somewhere in the £50-80million range.

The ex-Red Bull boss wouldn't be drawn into numbers in a recent interview with The Times, but he was more than happy to get a few things off his chest regarding his former team.

“Look, I can’t give you a number," Horner told The Times regarding his payoff.

Horner also argued that the payoff: "demonstrates that you’ve done nothing wrong, they just don’t want you any more."

"If somebody’s prepared to pay that much money for you not to be there … And I think if you look at that team 12 months down the line, it’s lost its mojo, its presence, its vibe.”

Horner on why Red Bull fired him

So, why did Red Bull actually get rid of Horner? He says he was never given a proper explanation, but that performance and his influence within the organisation played a role.

“I was never given a clear explanation other than that they felt [the team’s] performance had slipped a little," Horner explained.

"Even though at the [previous] race we’d been on pole position and leading the British Grand Prix; had it not been for the weather, we’d probably have won it. And that they wanted to go in a different direction.

"When I really pushed - I had six years left on my contract - I was told that it was more Christian Horner Racing than Red Bull Racing.”

Red Bull in 2026

Whether it's due to 'mojo' or 'vibes' what cannot be argued is that Red Bull have not been successful so far in 2026 as F1 entered a new era of regulations. Until Saturday at least.

The team still sits fourth in the constructors' standings after Azerbaijan and with no hope of any title this year, with four-time world champion Max Verstappen languishing in sixth in the drivers' championship.

Red Bull have managed to tie Verstappen down to a long-term deal after speculation that they could depart, but their focus has already switched to the 2027 title challenge with nine rounds of the season to go, which is a damning indictment of where the team are currently at.

Horner, meanwhile, remains outside of the F1 paddock for now, but has been linked with a return regularly since his departure.

Written by

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson - F1 Editor

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F1 Red Bull Christian Horner