Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull after 20 years as team principal has been attributed by former rival Toto Wolff to Horner’s “sense of entitlement.” Wolff, Mercedes CEO, said Horner’s inability to acknowledge when situations went against him.

One such situation was the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on a final-lap restart—reflected a broader lack of introspection that contributed to tensions at Red Bull.

Wolff explained that while Horner admitted FIA race director Michael Masi mishandled the 2021 restart, he never expressed the same acknowledgment to Wolff personally, highlighting a perceived gap in Horner’s ability to see the other side.

Wolff elaborated during a recent media interview:

“If it was the other way round and had happened to them that day [2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix], it would have been catastrophic, and he would have come up with all kinds of insults. And I think that the ability to be introspective or be able to see the other side with some compassion is a total gap in his personality.”

“It’s the sense of entitlement he has. And that bit him in the end, because he felt entitled to all the power, and Red Bull didn’t want to give him that power.”

According to Wolff, this attitude ultimately led to a power struggle at Red Bull, resulting in Horner leaving the team in September with a reported multi-million-pound payout.

Speculation that Horner might join Aston Martin in a leadership role ended when the team instead appointed Adrian Newey as team principal, with owner Lawrence Stroll reportedly confirming Horner would not be joining.