Christian Horner, the long‑time architect of Red Bull Racing’s rise in Formula One, has spoken candidly about the emotional impact of his dismissal from the team he helped build. The 52‑year‑old said the period after he was sacked was painful, left him questioning his purpose, and led to panic attacks.
Horner, who said he should have been in Singapore preparing for a grand prix, was instead at his home in Highgate with his wife, Geri Halliwell‑Horner. Halliwell‑Horner greeted visitors warmly and recalled aspects of her own schooling and upbringing, even offering a light‑hearted mimicry of a South African accent, according to the account of the meeting.
Reflecting on his exit from Red Bull, Horner said the way his departure was handled was unusually harsh. "Not all teams act that way. You don’t see the same brutality as when I left," he told the visitor, framing his remarks around the emotional consequences of the split rather than the professional details of the case.
Horner’s two decades at the helm saw Red Bull transform into one of Formula One’s dominant outfits. His departure, and the manner of it, has become a focal point in debates about leadership, team culture and the pressures faced by figures in modern motorsport. He remains a widely discussed figure within the sport as he processes the personal fallout of a high‑profile breakup with the team he built, both publicly and privately.