Christian Horner hands Red Bull damning verdict after exit: 'Lost its vibe'

Christian Horner believes Red Bull no longer has the same "vibe" following his exit from the F1 team 15 months ago.

After 20 years as team principal, Horner was axed in July last year for reasons he claims he still does not fully understand, although it is claimed he was given a hefty pay-off, with reported figures varying between £50 million and £80 million.

In an interview with The Times, Horner made clear he is not at liberty to discuss the minutiae of his departure; however, he does feel that Red Bull is no longer the team it once was now he is no longer in charge.

Horner feels that whatever the number behind his pay-off, "it demonstrates that you’ve done nothing wrong".

He added: "They just don’t want you any more. If somebody’s prepared to pay that much money for you not to be there…"

After a pause, he then offers a clear point of view on the state of Red Bull at present by declaring, "And I think if you look at that team 12 months down the line, it’s lost its mojo, its presence, its vibe."

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Christian Horner Racing?

As to why he left, Horner seems to think the powers that be at Red Bull felt he had become too much of a domineering presence and the team was losing its identity.

Notably, of course, Horner had hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2024 when a female employee at the team accused him of controlling and coercive behaviour, sparking two internal investigations.

Arguably, Red Bull's decline in performance in the first half of 2025 is understood to have played a part, although it is something Horner disputes.

Asked as to why he felt he was fired, Horner replied: "I was never given a clear explanation other than that they felt the performance had slipped a little.

"Even though at the [previous] race we’d been on pole position and leading the British Grand Prix; had it not been for the weather, we’d probably have won it.

"And that they wanted to go in a different direction. When I really pushed - I had six years left on my contract - I was told that it was more Christian Horner Racing than Red Bull Racing."