McLaren CEO Zak Brown has fired a staggering accusation at former Red Bull boss Christian Horner, insisting that he "changed" due to the "fame" from Drive to Survive.
After leading Red Bull as team boss for over 20 years, the Austrian company decided to axe Horner following the British Grand Prix.
It ended one of the longest partnerships in the history of the sport and saw Horner leave the Formula 1 paddock.
He led Red Bull to eight drivers' titles and six constructors' championships, but also found himself involved in various spats with Brown and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
According to Brown, he used to get on well with Horner; however, it all changed following the introduction of Netflix's popular F1 docu-series.
"I’ve known Christian for 30-plus years," Brown told The Telegraph. "We used to get on. His results are amazing.
"So, hats off. But he’s changed. I think the Drive to Survive fame, the money, the glory, all got a bit much."
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Horner's tactics
During his time leading Red Bull – particularly since the outfit started challenging for victories from 2009 – Horner became a relentless winner.
He guided the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen to their respected four drivers' titles each, with some questionable moves having been made both on and off the circuit along the way.
Asked if Horner plays fairly, Brown responded: “At times, no. Back when I was racing, there were drivers who raced hard and squeezed competitors’ cars two wheels off the track. That’s OK.
"But other drivers squeeze you four wheels off the track. That’s not OK. I’m a two-wheels-off guy. Christian is a four-wheels-off guy."
Famously, Red Bull made an allegation against McLaren towards the end of last season that it was injecting water into its tyres to keep the rubber cool, something the papaya squad categorically denied.
Pushed for an example of Horner using dirty tactics, Brown explained: "He made allegations towards our team. I can’t imagine he believed them. It was simply intended to disrupt us."
He continued: "Regardless of legality, everyone in the sport knows you wouldn’t do that for technical reasons."
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