Susie Wolff, the managing director of F1 Academy and the wife of Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff, has remarked that Christian Horner “played a character very well” during his tenure at Red Bull.
Wolff’s comments have coincided with the renewed interest in Horner’s future whereabouts in the sport. Reports have recently emerged of the Brit holding talks with Ferrari regarding a distinguished position within the historic Italian team.
The Horner saga
Horner has cemented his legacy as one of the most successful team principals in F1 history, having led Red Bull to six Constructors’ Championships and eight Drivers’ titles since his appointment in 2005.
However, once a female Red Bull employee came forward with allegations of inappropriate conduct in early 2024, Horner’s standing within the team took a hit. Since then, two separate investigations have cleared the 51-year-old of the claims he has vehemently refuted.
Nonetheless, with the public scandal having already sullied his reputation, the internal power struggle at Red Bull finally paved the way for Horner’s exit from the team. They sacked the Brit in the aftermath of the 2025 British GP, and Laurent Mekies stepped up to replace him as CEO and team principal.
Horner officially parted ways with Red Bull Racing last month, after agreeing to a settlement of £80 million. He reportedly accepted a reduced payout in order to return to the world of F1 sooner.
Horner incident bad for the image of the sport
Amidst rumours of Christian Horner’s negotiations with multiple teams on the grid, Susie Wolff has opened up about how the Brit’s notoriety was detrimental to the female-only series she heads. This single-seater championship, still in its infancy, only held its inaugural season in 2023.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Wolff admitted that she was thankful for how Horner had endorsed the F1 Academy.
However, the Scottish former racing driver also argued that the accusations made against Red Bull’s ex-team principal had not only tarnished the image of the sport but also overshadowed the encouraging momentum the series was receiving.
Furthermore, Wolff suggested that the 51-year-old’s persona during his Red Bull tenure was inauthentic and that he was simply playing a character.
“Christian [Horner] was supportive of F1 Academy and for that I’ll always be grateful.
“It was a real shame for the sport – the whole drama that was created with the allegations. We were getting so much positive momentum with F1 Academy and that all kicked off and suddenly everyone wanted to interview me about that [the Horner saga].
“He was someone that played a character very well.
“But I do think that incident maybe wasn’t the best for the image of the sport and showed that we’ve still got work to do.”
