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Christian Horner’s reaction to being sacked by Red Bull has been revealed in the new season of Drive to Survive.
Horner was one of the chief protagonists of F1’s hit Netflix docu-series, but was relieved of his duties as Red Bull team boss last summer after 20 years in charge.
Horner was dismissed after losing a power struggle at the team and, in season eight of Drive to Survive, which premieres on Friday, the 52-year-old acknowledged that he was probably deemed to have “too much control.”
Speaking to his wife Geri Halliwell at his Oxfordshire home, Horner said: “I feel a real sense of loss and hurt. It was all rather sudden. I didn’t really get a chance to say a proper goodbye.
“I never imagined to be in this position. Your immediate reaction when you’re given a s*** sandwich like that is… f*** them. I’ve had something taken away from me that wasn’t my choice, that was very precious to me.
“I only ever did my best… but performance this year hasn’t been as strong as previously.”
Horner fell out with star driver Max Verstappen’s dad, Jos, at the start of the 2024 season but refused to lay the blame for his sacking at their door, instead pointing the finger at de facto Red Bull GmbH chief Oliver Mintzlaff and former driver development boss Helmut Marko.
On Verstappen, Horner said: “His father has never been my biggest fan. He’s been outspoken about me, but I don’t believe that the Verstappens were responsible in any way.
“This was a decision made by Oliver Mintzlaff, with Helmut advising by the sidelines. I think ultimately things change within the business and the group.
“The founder died and after Dietrich Mateschitz’s death [in 2022], I think I was probably deemed to have too much control.”
His final season also saw Horner ditch Liam Lawson after just two races, with Yuki Tsunoda stepping up to replace him. “That wasn’t my choice,” Horner insisted on DtoS.
“I was always pushed to take drivers from the junior programme, Helmut was a big driver in that. The reality is that over 20 years, on the good and bad days, it’s been an epic journey.”
Horner is free to return to the F1 paddock from April and has been closely linked with a move to Renault-owned Alpine. The 2026 season starts on 8 March with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.