McLaren F1 boss says Christian Horner 'changed' over long relationship

Formula 1

McLaren boss says Christian Horner 'changed' over long relationship

Zak Brown and Christian Horner share a fiery relationship

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Tuesday 18 November 2025 01:12

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has revealed the changes in his relationship with former Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

The pair's animosity became public last year, after allegations of inappropriate behavior were levelled at Horner and Brown called for more transparency within the Red Bull operation.

Horner was ultimately cleared of all of the allegations, but the rather stressful time for the Brit was recorded via season seven of the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, when Horner could be heard saying: "Zak is a p****."

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The pair's rivalry then continued into 2025, with McLaren the dominant team in the paddock and Red Bull trying to chase them down through four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

But in July, Horner was axed from Red Bull with the team sat fourth in the constructors' championship, with Laurent Mekies instead taking over as team principal.

"I think the Drive to Survive fame, the money, the glory, all got a bit much."

When asked if Horner ‘plays fair’, Brown added: "At times, no. Back when I was racing, there were drivers who raced hard and squeezed competitors’ cars two wheels off the track. That’s ok. But other drivers squeeze you four wheels off the track. That’s not ok. I’m a two wheels off guy. Christian is a four wheels off guy."

Will Horner return to F1?

Alpine emerged as an unlikely contender for the 52-year-old’s signature almost immediately after he was axed from Red Bull, with the French outfit currently lacking a team principal.

Executive advisor Flavio Briatore fulfilled the functions of team boss after Oliver Oakes’ departure back in May, and in July, Steve Nielsen signed as their managing director.

Nielsen now oversees the day-to-day running of the team, but he has not officially taken up the role of team principal, meaning the spot is still technically up for grabs at Alpine.

Rumours of a Ferrari switch have failed to go away too, with the Maranello outfit currently now fourth in the standings and looking to get back to championship-winning ways in the near future.

Meanwhile, Horner has reportedly been calling various F1 teams to discuss a potential return to the sport, with Haas another option for the Brit in terms of his team ownership ambitions. Current team principal Ayao Komatsu revealed that an initial conversation with Horner had taken place, but that discussions had not gone any further.

One thing is for sure, Horner's two main rivals Brown and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff will be missing the competitive rivalry they had with the Brit, even if they don't miss Horner himself.

Formula 1