"Christian is the Red Bull team," claims Fittipaldi as he reflects on Horner's shock exit from Red Bull

On the back of Christian Horner's shock exit from the Milton Keynes-based oufit, two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi emphasized the Briton's integral role at Red Bull.

Just two days after the British Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing announced that Christian Horner would leave the team with immediate effect.

The Briton has been at the helm for almost the entire team's history in F1 but his exit follows a couple of troublesome years of internal struggles since Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz passed away.

Horner has been in charge of Red Bull since the team entered the sport in 2025, serving as team principal for two decades. During that time, the 51-year-old Briton has led Red Bull to six constructors' and eight drivers' world championship titles.

Reflecting on Red Bull's decision, two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi has been left shocked, claiming that Horner has played an integral role in the success of the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

“Christian is the Red Bull team. He has won so many titles and has taken care of so many drivers. Sometimes things change in life. Hopefully, he finds a new challenge soon. That's life," Fittipaldi is quoted as saying by Sport De.

Red Bull development driver and former Formula E champion Jake Dennis also shared his surprise at the news, admitting to GPblog that his busy schedule kept him unaware of the developments.

“Even the staff members who are present at the Red Bull factory every day did not know that such a significant change was in the pipeline.”