Christian Horner opens up in the latest season of Drive to Survive about his dismissal from Red Bull. Horner, who always played a prominent role in the Netflix docuseries, suggests on camera that Helmut Marko was partly responsible for his exit; he says Max Verstappen’s camp is not to blame.
In his final years at Red Bull Horner faced mounting criticism, not least because of accusations of sexual misconduct by a female employee. On top of that came the on‑track disappointment in 2025. Jos Verstappen was at the time one of the most outspoken critics of the Brit. Netflix therefore asked Horner whether Max Verstappen and his father were involved in his dismissal.
‘The Verstappens bear no blame’
The former team boss rejected that idea outright. Although he admitted his relationship with Jos Verstappen had cooled, Horner insisted the Verstappens carried no responsibility. “Max’s father was never my biggest fan,” he said, to put it mildly. “He has spoken out against me publicly. But I don’t believe the Verstappens were responsible in any way,” he emphasised.
According to Horner, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko may well have played a role. Marko, a loyal ally of the late team founder Dietrich Mateschitz, had already been at odds with the team principal during the scandal. The Austrian enjoyed the backing of Oliver Mintzlaff, who in many respects is viewed as Mateschitz’s successor. Horner, in turn, was supported by the Thai majority shareholders. “I think my dismissal was a decision by Oliver Mintzlaff, with Helmut Marko advising him from the sidelines,” Horner said. “After Mateschitz’s death the balance of power within the company shifted. It was probably felt that I had too much control,” he concluded.
