Christian Horner has made explosive claims about Adrian Newey, his former colleague and friend at Red Bull Racing. In his new book Drive, Horner criticises Newey’s management and accuses him of disloyalty.
The pair worked together for two decades, building Red Bull’s championship-winning era. They were close friends, with Newey serving as an usher at Horner’s wedding to Geri Halliwell and as godfather to Horner’s 12-year-old daughter. But the relationship soured as Red Bull’s performance declined.
“I had his back and believed that he had mine. But at the first sign of adversity, Adrian wanted to abandon ship,” Horner told The Times. “I felt very sad about that g I couldn’t rely on him any more. Our partnership was not as solid as I’d previously believed.”
Newey is now team principal at Aston Martin, having left Red Bull in early 2025. Horner himself was sacked after last year’s British Grand Prix, 17 months after being accused of sexual harassment and coercive behaviour by a female employee. He was twice cleared of the claims.
Horner claims he was never given a proper explanation for his dismissal. “I was never given a clear explanation other than that they felt [the team’s] performance had slipped a little,” he said. “Even though at the [previous] race we’d been on pole position and leading the British Grand Prix; had it not been for the weather, we’d probably have won it. And that they wanted to go in a different direction.”
He added that he pushed for answers given his six-year contract. “I was told that it was more Christian Horner Racing than Red Bull Racing,” he revealed. This suggests that perceived self-interest was an issue, though Horner disputes it.
In the same interview, Horner admitted that a dream role at Ferrari is the only F1 job that could tempt him back onto the pitwall without an ownership stake. He hasn’t ruled out a return.
This story is a reminder that behind the glamour of Formula 1, personal dynamics and team politics can be as fierce as the on-track battles. Horner and Newey, once united in success, now stand on opposite sides with wounds that may take time to heal.
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