Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has a clear opinion of his friend Christian Horner: He was an ‘idiot’ because he behaved “like a 20-year-old.”
Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is one of Christian Horner’s closest confidants, but following his dismissal as Red Bull team principal, the billionaire is not mincing his words. “This story he got himself into 18 months ago, he was just an idiot,” Ecclestone said.
“He was a 50-year-old man who thought he was 20 and believed he was one of the boys,” the Briton said in an interview with The Telegraph. He was referring to the Horner affair, which caused a stir in Formula 1 before the start of the 2024 season.
The dismissed Red Bull team boss was accused of “inappropriate behavior” by a female member of the team. Only an official investigation cleared Horner of the allegations of sexual harassment and manipulative behavior.
Nevertheless, a collection of WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between him and a female employee that became public caused a worldwide sensation and considerable damage to his reputation. Since then, Red Bull has been in crisis.
Ecclestone, who has often attracted attention with his derogatory remarks, therefore shows little sympathy for the woman who accused Horner: “I often wonder why a woman who is so annoyed by a man’s advances doesn’t just say, ‘Hey, you there, stop it!’”
Did Horner want too much power at Red Bull?
However, that alone was not the reason why Horner ultimately had to leave. Instead, there was growing discontent within Red Bull’s corporate headquarters in Austria that the Brit wanted more and more power.
“Maybe it would have been better if they had said, ‘Come in, Christian, sit down,’” Ecclestone said. “But the bottom line was that some people felt he could get away with anything, that he was acting as if it wasn’t the Red Bull Ring, but the Christian Horner Ring.”
Horner has gotten away with a lot so far, according to the former Formula 1 boss. “As long as you deliver, people turn a blind eye. But as soon as you stop delivering, people start looking,” Ecclestone knows. “And then one or two start thinking, ‘I could do better.’”
Mateschitz’s death triggers internal power struggle
On top of that, the death of Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022 led to an internal power struggle. “To be honest, it was quite a mess,” Ecclestone reveals. “Christian was the managing director [of Red Bull Racing]. When I’m the CEO of a company, I want to be in charge.“
”I want to do what I think is right. And if I’m wrong, they can fire me and say, ‘Sorry, goodbye, you made a few mistakes.’ But as soon as Christian is no longer in a position to do what he thinks is necessary, it’s difficult for him.”
You can’t run a company half-heartedly, says the former Formula 1 boss. “It needs someone, as I always say, who turns the lights on and off. In the end, you only need one person.” Ecclestone suspects that this is exactly what doomed Horner.
Horner out due to lack of success?
“I know he was advised to focus on team management and leave the commercial side to someone else,” the 94-year-old hints. “His attitude was: ‘I’m the CEO.’ But there are very few executives who can do everything—from engineering to public relations.“
”He ran the company the way he thought was right. And for a long time, people said, ‘Okay, fair enough, he delivers results.’ But as soon as things start going downhill, people start looking more closely and saying, ‘Wait a minute.’”
“Christian has won many championships,” Ecclestone recalls, referring to Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen’s eight world titles and six constructors’ titles. “He was used to winning. It’s not easy when you’re no longer winning – and when you know it’s not entirely your fault.”
