The tears flowed freely for Christian Horner. Images shared by Sky Sports showed the British racing chief overcome with emotion. After two decades leading the Red Bull project, he found himself saying goodbye to his operational role. Horner called his time with the team the “greatest privilege of his life.”
“Yesterday, Red Bull told me I would no longer be involved with the team’s daily operations,” Horner explained to his colleagues in a farewell talk. “I’ll still work for the company, but someone else will take over this part of the job.” He admitted it was a huge shock to hear the news. Horner said he spent 12 hours thinking about it. He wanted to stand before everyone and thank them for all their hard work over the past 20 years.
Horner recalled joining Red Bull two decades ago. “I had less gray hair back then,” he joked. He wasn’t sure what to expect from the team. But he quickly felt welcome. Together, they built a Formula 1 powerhouse. He called being part of that journey the “greatest privilege of his life.” His voice cracked, and he openly wept as he spoke.
This big decision from Red Bull came after a tough race weekend in Silverstone. Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, finished fifth. He made a rare mistake during the race. Yuki Tsunoda crossed the line in 15th place. He was the last driver to finish the full race on English soil.