McLaren CEO Breaks Silence on Christian Horner Ousting: 'Lot of Drama'

Newsweek

3 days ago

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McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown admitted that he wasn't "surprised" by Red Bull Racing's decision to part ways with Christian Horner, seemingly suggesting that his ousting was imminent. Brown highlighted that there was "a lot of drama" at Red Bull that kept getting "worse."
Horner's Red Bull split arrived after he had served the team for twenty years, shocking the world of F1. However, Brown likely saw it coming, given the controversies that made headlines when the 2024 season had just begun.
The former Red Bull team boss was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female colleague, which led to an internal investigation. However, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by Red Bull GmbH.
Horner reportedly received flak from Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, for what had unfolded. This followed reports of an internal power struggle between Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko. High-profile exits from Red Bull, such as Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, soon followed, leading to a management shuffle.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 18, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 18, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Red Bull's RB20 F1 car also began to suffer from balance problems, which, combined with McLaren's resurgence, led to Red Bull losing the top spot in the 2024 Constructors' Championship.
While Red Bull didn't reveal the reason for Horner's immediate departure, Brown suggested that he saw it coming. In an interview with TSN, the McLaren boss was asked if he was surprised by Horner's exit. He said:
"Maybe the timing, but not the result. There's been a lot of drama there the last couple of years and it doesn't seem like that drama has been calming down, maybe even been getting worse. So, I'm not surprised, anytime in the middle of the season."
Brown revealed that he was more focused on the F1 season ahead, with both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris leading the Drivers' Standings in the same order. Verstappen is placed third in the championship, 69 points adrift of Piastri. Brown added:
"But, we're head down on our Championship. They've got Max still knocking on the door, so we've got to pay attention to that. But, tremendous amount of success they had."
With Horner linked to Ferrari and Alpine F1 teams, Brown predicts he could return to motorsports in the future. He said:
"I think given his age and his history in motor racing, I'd be surprised if he didn't show up somewhere in motor racing.
"But I don't know his other interests, whether he wants to go run a football team or what have you. We'll see."
Asked if he was following news about Horner, Brown said:
"Yeah. But couldn't be happier with Oscar and Lando. So, sure to be the interested spectator. I'm very happy with my driver line-up. So, I don't want to spend any time on other than what pops up on my phone."