Christian Horner's farewell speech was leaked after he was dismissed from Red Bull

Yesterday, the departure of Christian Horner was officially confirmed by Red Bull Racing, which decided to immediately remove him from his operational duties, although he will remain contractually linked to the company. In this context, the speech he gave behind closed doors after learning of his dismissal as sporting director of the energy drink team, which he led for 20 years until turning it into one of the greatest powerhouses in Formula 1, was recently leaked.

In the leaked message, Horner begins by recounting how he was informed of the news: "Red Bull has just informed me that, on an operational level, I will no longer be involved with the business or the team from this moment on. I will remain employed by the company, but, operationally, the baton will be handed over. Obviously, that has been a shock for me".

He then reveals the process of reflection he experienced after receiving the news: "In the last twelve hours, I have had time to reflect and I wanted to stand in front of all of you to deliver this news and simply express my gratitude to each member of the team who has shown so much courage during the 20 and a half years I was here".

With evident emotion, Horner recalled how his beginnings at Red Bull were and the path they traveled together: "When I arrived 20 years ago, with a few fewer gray hairs, I joined the team not knowing what to expect, but I was welcomed immediately. From those two buildings in front, we began to build what became a Formula 1 powerhouse".

Finally, he closed with a phrase full of affection for the history they shared: "Seeing and being part of this team has been the greatest privilege of my life. See you soon".

During his tenure, Horner led Red Bull to conquer multiple world championships with Sebastian Vettel and, more recently, with Max Verstappen. His sudden departure marks the end of a golden era for the team and raises a major question about its future in the top tier of motorsport.