Christian Horner has broken his silence on his dramatic Red Bull sacking, insisting that Max Verstappen and his father Jos were not responsible for his exit. In the new season of Netflix's _Formula 1: Drive to Survive_, the former team principal revealed that Helmut Marko played a key role in the decision that ended his 20-year tenure at the team.

Horner, who led Red Bull to multiple championships since 2005, was dismissed in July 2025 following a power struggle after the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022. The 52-year-old described the sacking as being delivered a "s* sandwich" and expressed feeling a "real sense of loss and hurt" at losing something "very precious" that wasn't his choice to give up. He suggested the decision came from Oliver Mintzlaff** with Marko advising.

Despite their intense rivalry, Horner revealed a touching farewell message from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who called him "a real ahole" but acknowledged the sport would miss "one of its main protagonists." The revelation comes as the 2026 F1 season approaches, with the Australian Grand Prix** kicking off the campaign from March 6-8. All eight episodes of _Drive to Survive_ Season 8 launch on Netflix February 27.