ByAilsa CowenBBC Sport journalist<\/p>\n
Christian Horner says Max Verstappen and his camp were "not responsible" for his exit from Red Bull in 2025.<\/p>\n
The 52-year-old left his roles as team principal and chief executive<\/a> last summer following months of team decline and internal disputes. <\/p>\n Jos Verstappen, Max's father, said Horner was "driving people apart"<\/a> before his departure from Red Bull, while many suggested that Horner's exit was an attempt from Red Bull to convince Verstappen to sign a new deal. <\/p>\n Verstappen, who is contracted until 2028, only committed to racing for Red Bull in the 2026 season after Horner's exit. <\/p>\n But speaking publicly for the first time about his departure, Horner dismissed any suggestions that Verstappen and his camp were responsible for his dismissal. <\/p>\n "[Max Verstappen's] father has never been my biggest fan," Horner told Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which is released on Friday.<\/p>\n "He's been outspoken about me, but I don't believe that the Verstappens were responsible in any way."<\/p>\n Horner, who joined the team in 2005, led Red Bull to eight drivers' championships and six constructors' championship titles. <\/p>\n He was dismissed after a controversial 18 months that started when a female employee accused him of sexual harassment, an allegation that was made public in February 2024.<\/p>\n He was twice cleared of the claims, firstly after an internal investigation<\/a> conducted by a lawyer, then by another lawyer who dismissed the complainant's appeal<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Briton left with a \u00a352m payout but he said he felt a "real sense of loss", and blamed Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff and Red Bull advisor Marko Helmut for his exit. <\/p>\n "It was all rather sudden. I didn't really get the chance to say a proper goodbye," he said.<\/p>\n "I think this was a decision that was made by Oliver Mintzlaff with Helmut advising from the side-line.<\/p>\n "I think ultimately things changed within the business, within the group. The founder died, and after Dietrich [Mateschitz]'s death, I think probably I was deemed to have maybe too much control." <\/p>\nRelated topics<\/h2>\n