Horner opens up about his shock exit from Red Bull

Having been ousted by Red Bull on Tuesday evening, the Milton Keynes-based outfit's team boss Christian Horner stated that the decision came "as a shock" for him.

Just two days after last Sunday's British Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing announced that Christian Horner will 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.

Horner was informed by Red Bull on Tuesday evening, and he elected to share the news with his employees at the factory on Wednesday morning with a short speech, which was broadcasted by Sky Sports.

"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," noted Horner.

"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 what I've had time 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. Watching and being part of this team has been the biggest privilege in my life."