Schumacher says Horner caused his own Red Bull downfall

Ralf Schumacher believes Christian Horner’s actions and leadership decisions directly led to his ousting as Red Bull's Formula 1 team boss.

Just over a week after the 51-year-old was informed of his dismissal by Red Bull’s CEO, the fallout continues, with longtime ally Bernie Ecclestone even calling Horner an "idiot" over his behaviour in the scandal involving a female staff member.

Schumacher, a consistent critic of Horner in recent years, says the trouble began when Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz passed away in late 2022.

"I think that with the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, everything changed," Schumacher told formel1.de. "Suddenly, he's had much more power and, in my opinion, he behaved differently than he had in previous years.

That's what went wrong for him. "There was a lot of fuss because attention shifted away from the team and focused solely on him, and during that time he couldn't work optimally."

Schumacher also revealed that Horner effectively “black-listed” him and the Sky Deutschland broadcast team after receiving public criticism.

"I don't think he acted responsibly," Schumacher added. "He should have left to deal with the situation and returned when everything was cleared up."

In the wake of Horner’s departure, Red Bull has experienced a series of key personnel losses, and the team now faces its biggest threat yet: the possible departure of Max Verstappen.

With Mercedes pushing to sign the Dutch star for 2026 and beyond, Red Bull may soon be left with a car built around Verstappen's style that few others can master.

"I don't think the car was designed for Max," former Haas boss Gunther Steiner told Business of Sport. "The car is what it is, but the only one who can drive it is Max.

"I think people are trying to find an excuse for Max's success, but he's so damn successful because he's so incredibly good."

"The other guys try to do what Max does, but they can't. He's incredibly talented and he's better than anyone else," Steiner added. "He works hard and puts in more effort in the simulator. He also drives GT cars in his spare time. What other driver does that?"