Ecclestone stunned by Horner firing: ‘It's like he's murdered somebody’

Former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has expressed disbelief at Red Bull’s decision to fire Christian Horner with immediate effect, calling the move sudden, drastic, and inexplicable without more serious underlying reasons.

The 94-year-old, who has maintained a close relationship with Horner throughout their time in the sport, revealed he had spoken to the outgoing Red Bull boss earlier this week, with no apparent indication of such a bombshell decision on the horizon.

In an interview with Dutch website RacingNews365, Ecclestone said the abruptness of the decision left him shocked.

"I spoke to him the day before [on Monday] and he didn't know. Well, he might have known, but he didn't tell me,” he said.

"It was a normal conversation. We were talking about Max. Nothing to do with this, otherwise he would have told me."

A Puzzling Mid-Season Dismissal

The timing and manner of Horner’s exit have particularly baffled Ecclestone, who struggled to comprehend why Red Bull would take such drastic action mid-season.

“All I know is the message the whole world has got, which is, he's been fired, effective immediately,” he said.

“It's the effective immediately I don't understand. Why would they ask him to leave with immediate effect? It's like he's murdered somebody.”

Ecclestone argued that if the decision had been based purely on performance, a more measured approach would typically be expected.

“You can understand, if you're going to fire somebody, then you'd have a chat before and you'd come out with something like, 'We've agreed to part company', or something’.

“But to come out and say, 'You're fired with immediate effect', he must have done something a bit drastic for that to happen.

“It must be something very serious, in my opinion,” Ecclestone added.

A Broader Reshuffle

Horner’s dismissal was accompanied by the exits of group chief marketing and commercial officer Oliver Hughes and group director of communications Paul Smith. Both were key figures appointed by Horner, suggesting a broader restructuring effort by Red Bull’s parent company in Austria.

Read also:

• Brundle on Horner’s exit: 'Not completely out of the blue’

According to a report from The Race, the moves point to a deliberate shift by Red Bull GmbH to dismantle the centralized empire Horner had built at Milton Keynes with the approval at the time of Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull’s co-founder.

Since Mateschitz’s passing, the Fuschl am See-based energy drink company has sought greater control over its F1 operations, including Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Technology, and Red Bull Powertrains.

The removal of Horner and his allies appears to be a decisive step in that direction, signaling a new era for the team.

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