Ralf Schumacher pulls no punches on Horner: “The team was a disaster”
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher isn’t holding back about Christian Horner’s leadership at Red Bull Racing, fully backing Helmut Marko’s recent criticism.
“You have to agree with Helmut Marko: the team was a disaster, it fell apart,” Schumacher told Sky Germany.
The 50-year-old former Williams driver painted a picture of a team in rapid decline under Horner’s watch.
He pointed to a mass exodus of talent that left the championship-winning team scrambling.
“It lost an incredible number of personnel and employees,” Schumacher explained. “All because of Christian Horner, because he displayed a way of behaving that, internally, was characterized as: ‘He was the only one who mattered.'”
This leadership style didn’t just push people out — it also made recruitment nearly impossible.
“That cost good people, and the big problem on the other side was: nobody wanted to come anymore,” he added.
The criticism follows Marko’s own blistering assessment of Horner’s tenure. The 82-year-old advisor went so far as to suggest Max Verstappen might have clinched the 2025 Drivers’ Championship if Red Bull had shown Horner the door earlier.
Red Bull finally parted ways with Horner just days after the British Grand Prix, as the team struggled through a disappointing run of results.
## Horner eyeing F1 comeback?
Despite his unceremonious exit, Horner apparently isn’t done with Formula 1 yet.
Recent reports link the British motorsport veteran with Alpine. Sources suggest he’s working with investors to purchase a stake in the French team.
Is this a chance at redemption for the controversial former team boss? Only time will tell if Horner can rebuild his reputation after such public criticism from former colleagues.
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