Schumacher: Horner accountable for Red Bull's downfall.

Schumacher: Horner accountable for Red Bull's downfall.

      "I believe he did not act in a responsible manner" regarding the TV ban.

      Christian Horner has been accountable for his own downfall at the helm of Red Bull’s Formula 1 operations. This is the strong opinion of former F1 driver and consistent Horner critic, Ralf Schumacher, just over a week after the energy drink company's CEO informed the 51-year-old about the unfortunate news. Horner’s close friend and ally, Bernie Ecclestone, stated that the Briton acted like an "idiot" due to his extramarital conduct with a female team member.

      Schumacher feels that Horner mishandled his quest for greater influence following the passing of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in late 2022. "With the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, everything shifted," he expressed to formel1.de. "Suddenly, he had much more authority, and in my view, he conducted himself differently than in prior years. That's where he went wrong," the German asserted.

      "There was a lot of commotion because the spotlight moved away from the team and became solely focused on him. During that period, he couldn’t perform at his best," Schumacher elaborated. He recently disclosed that Horner had "black-listed" both himself, as a TV analyst, and the Sky Deutschland crew following his critical comments. "In my opinion, he did not act responsibly," Schumacher stated. "He should have stepped back to handle the situation and returned once it was resolved."

      Under Horner’s leadership, Red Bull's decline has led to the exit of several key personnel, and the next departure could be significant. Max Verstappen appears to be weighing an enticing proposal from Mercedes for 2026 and beyond, potentially leaving Red Bull with a team built entirely around the Dutch driver, who finds the car challenging to drive compared to Verstappen.

      "I don’t believe the car was designed for Max," former Haas team principal Gunther Steiner told Business of Sport. "The car is what it is, but only Max seems able to drive it effectively. I think people are attempting to find an excuse for Max’s success, but he is remarkably successful because of his immense talent," he added. "Other drivers try to replicate what Max does, but they can’t. He’s extraordinarily gifted and surpasses everyone else," Steiner remarked.

      "He dedicates himself and invests more time in the simulator. He also engages in GT racing during his free time. Which other driver does that?"

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Schumacher: Horner accountable for Red Bull's downfall.

Formula 1 | Christian Horner was accountable for his own downfall at the helm of Red Bull's Formula 1 operations. This is the definitive perspective of ex-F1 driver (…)