What Red Bull insiders believe was Christian Horner’s ‘greatest power’ during 20 years of team management

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Christian Horner’s time as Red Bull CEO and team principal was brought to an abrupt end last week after 20 years at the helm.

The 51-year-old became the youngest team principal in F1 history when he joined the team in 2005. Horner had incredible success at Red Bull, winning eight drivers’ titles with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen and six constructors’ championships.

Red Bull gave no warning about Horner’s sacking, but his departure came amid the team’s drop in performance in 2025. They are already 288 points behind McLaren halfway through the season, with Verstappen ruling himself out of the title picture.

Verstappen pushed for Horner to leave as he demanded changes at Red Bull. The Dutchman is growing increasingly frustrated with the team amid rumours linking him to Mercedes.

The news of the 51-year-old’s departure came as a shock to the F1 world, but none more than the staff at the Red Bull factory. Horner had a ‘very emotional’ goodbye to his colleagues, who gave him a standing ovation as he broke down on occasion.

Red Bull insiders say Christian Horner’s ‘greatest power’ was creating empowerment within the team

While he may not have had much of a technical impact on Red Bull’s success on track, he played a significant role off it. Horner shaped the model of the team and kept everyone motivated and supported, which played a key role in their meteoric rise.

Speaking via Newstalk Daily, journalist Thomas Maher says Horner’s ‘greatest power’ was empowerment and how he created ‘tremendous loyalty’ in Milton Keynes. It was the ‘number one thing’ that came up when speaking to those within Red Bull.

“I think from speaking to people within the team, his greatest power was empowerment,” he said.

“So while Christian may not have been the most technical-minded person, he didn’t design the cars that won all the championships.

“But he was very good at getting the right people into the right jobs and allowing them to flourish in those roles.

“And the thing is, he created a very stable team for almost 20 years, there was very little movement, and that’s kind of the number one thing you hear when you talk to people about Christian Horner.

“He commanded tremendous loyalty.”

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What’s next for Christian Horner in Formula 1?

While Horner has been relieved of his operational duties at Red Bull, he is still an employee. His contract runs until 2030 and he has the freedom to speak to other teams, as Horner does not have to take gardening leave.

At 51 years old, Horner will surely want to continue his illustrious career in F1. Days after his exit from Red Bull, he is already being linked by several teams up and down the paddock.

Ferrari have been linked with Horner for some time, as Fred Vasseur faces pressure to keep his spot at the team. Horner would be more open to the move since leaving Red Bull, but Ferrari have not made any approach to the 51-year-old, nor do they intend on doing so.

Alpine have been linked with signing Horner as they search for their next team principal. Rumours have suggested that Horner and Bernie Ecclestone could be offered shares in Alpine and become part-owners.