Lewis Hamilton gave a very blunt response when he was quizzed about Christian Horner’s sacking.
The Red Bull boss was relieved of his duties earlier this month after 20 years in charge of the constructor, which under his leadership won eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships.
His dismissal came a year and a half after he was caught up in a major controversy that threatened to engulf the entire team.
Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee following the revelation of alleged sex texts sent by the 51-year-old, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee’s appeal. Horner has strongly denied the claims.
But while Red Bull backed their man throughout the unfolding saga in 2024, relations had undoubtedly cooled in the following months before he was dismissed.
Drivers have this week been reacting to the shocking dismissal ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton the latest to do so.
Hamilton and the former Red Bull principal had been direct rivals for years, with the 40-year-old driver behind the wheel for McLaren, Mercedes and more recently Ferrari.
And when asked about Horner’s dismissal this week, Hamilton was rather coy.
‘It doesn’t change anything in my life,’ he said.
‘I was neither surprised nor unsurprised. What is there to say? I sat with Christian in his office back in 2005, and I was in Formula Three and looking to go into GP2. He was with Arden.
‘And I wouldn’t say we hit it off from the get-go but to see his profession with his career, it was clearly remarkable what he did with the team with a huge group of amazing people.
‘With a huge group of amazing people, to really run an organisation that big and that well takes talent and skill and that’s what he brought to the team. So I wish him all the best.’
Horner was replaced as Red Bull team principal by Laurent Mekies and is expected to serve a period of gardening leave until the end of this year.
The team are preparing for their first race without their former principal at the helm since 2005.
Star driver Max Verstappen reacted to Horner’s sacking on Wednesday.
‘At the end of the day, management and the shareholders decided that they wanted a change, and at the end of the day, they run the team, and I’m the driver,’ the 27-year-old said.
‘So, whatever they decide, it’s fully in their right to do what they want. And that’s basically how it happened.
‘And at the same time now, sitting here, you look back at those 20 years of Red Bull, I think we’ve had a lot of great, great years, great, great results.
‘Naturally, there are also years where it’s not going that well, and I think the last one and a half years have not gone how we would have liked.
‘And management decided they wanted to steer the ship in a different direction, probably. And then everyone else has to agree to that and look forward.’
The Belgian Grand Prix goes ahead this Sunday.
