Knives out for Horner in aftermath of sacking as Red Bull F1 boss

Also weighing in on Horner's sudden dismissal was McLaren boss Zak Brown, who was particularly vehement in his insights on the former Red Bull F1 boss, as well as comments from Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle and former Formula 1 mogul Bernie Ecclestone.

“Horner gained power, was determined to seize it, made decisions, and ultimately failed because of his Icarus complex,” said Sky Germany’s Schumacher of the matter that dominated Formula 1 news headlines in July.

Schumacher's reference to Horner's rise in power draws from mythology, where Icarus ignored warnings and flew too high with wings made of wax and feathers, only to plummet to his death after the sun melted the wax.

Today, the term describes people overcome by megalomania or overconfidence, one who oversteps boundaries and ignores warnings. Ex-Formula 1 driver Schumacher believes Horner fits the pattern: “He wanted too much and thought he could do it alone,” adding that this path began after the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle points to a shift in Red Bull team dynamics after Mateschitz’s passing. “Christian wanted full control over what he had built himself, for the sake of the team in a fast-moving, highly specialized business. I suspect he overplayed his hand.”

“Mateschitz was universally respected and admired. He had a clear vision, a strong presence, and he let people do their work but mostly remained in the background. His spirit was in every F1 decision Red Bull made, even if he probably didn’t know most of them. Because it was always about: ‘What would Didi want or think?’”

Brundle said the void left by Mateschitz was quickly filled. “And like every vacuum, it was filled by others with ambitions, their own ideas, and big egos.”

Schumacher added: “This isn’t a one-man show. In Formula 1, you need stability with five, six, seven, eight, nine good people around you. A very close-knit group. They really have to get along well, because they see each other more than their own families; otherwise, it doesn’t work.”

Horner's lack of support inside the camp proved fatal. Tensions between him and the Austrian faction around Helmut Marko were longstanding, and the Verstappen camp also leaned towards Marko.

When allegations emerged regarding Horner’s behaviour toward a female employee, Jos Verstappen openly demanded his departure and may have used Max Verstappen’s future as leverage. Now that Horner is out, Max has confirmed he will remain at Red Bull in 2026.

Brundle suggested Horner’s fate was sealed early in 2024. “Given the events since Bahrain last year, particularly the influence of Jos Verstappen, it was game over for him. Since Bahrain last year, I almost felt like Jos was the team principal at Red Bull.”

He also warned: “It’s become a one-driver team, and that’s exactly what they need to get under control. The hierarchy in Austria would not have made this decision without the Verstappens being on board. They would not have been caught off guard. So there’s no way Max is leaving the team now. They would have covered that before they took action against Christian.”

Despite the internal turmoil, Red Bull’s Thai stakeholders stood by Horner for months. “When you have a partner like Christian Horner, who’s been with the team for so long and has achieved so much success, it’s not easy to make a decision like that,” said Schumacher.

“Stability has been a good thing up to now for red Bull. At Ferrari, we see them acting too often and too quickly. That doesn’t help. Accordingly, you could say, yes, it was a bit too late, but that doesn’t matter now. Now we’re back to what we once had. A fresh, young, open leader, refreshing in a certain way. And I think it’ll be a completely different team again,” Schumacher explained.

Nevertheless, Brundle believes Horner will be back. “Christian will return, sooner rather than later. And then with ownership and control.”

Bernie Ecclestone also weighed in, calling Red Bull’s decision “a bit ruthless," adding on Sky F1: “I had made it known to our friends there that maybe it was a little bit ruthless, perhaps, to do it the way they did, but they didn’t have much choice. They decided this is what they were going to do, and that’s it. They had to get on and do it.”

Speculation had linked Horner with a potential move into team ownership alongside Ecclestone, possibly involving Alpine, but the former Formula 1 supremo dismissed that possibility. “I think there’s more chance of Lewis winning his eighth title than that happening."

On Horner’s future, Ecclestone added: “I don’t know how, or where, or whether he even wants to. Probably doesn’t want to. Because the position he really wanted at Red Bull was to own part of the team. Unless he gets someone to put up the money to buy a team, I can’t see it happening.”

Who was Icarus? Icarus was the Son of Daedalus. Armed with wings of wax and feathers. Warned not to fly too high, he did it anyway. The sun punished his arrogance, melted the wax, and sent him crashing into the sea. A timeless tale. Not about flying but rather about what happens when you believe you’re untouchable.