No official reason for Horner’s shock exit has been given. Red Bull announced on Wednesday that he was leaving to be replaced by Laurent Mekies – only the second-ever Red Bull team principal.
Chandhok added that he would have preferred to see Red Bull allow Horner a final season in charge. He said Horner was a huge character in the F1 paddock: “I got to know him well over the years and he was a very smart operator. He knew the power of TV and the power of what he said. He said things that were aimed very clearly at getting his message across and he was very conscious of the public narrative. That was his job but he was a cheeky little bugger. He liked to ruffle feathers and like all big bosses he rubbed people up the wrong way.
“But people underestimate just how much of a racer Christian was. He is a racer at heart and he created a very serious and successful team. I think he is one of only three members of that team who has not missed a single grand prix since the team was formed. What a record.
“And I remember when I was a test driver for Red Bull in 2007-08 he came to Barcelona where I was doing some winter testing. I was surprised. It was a big deal for me but I didn’t expect the team boss to come. He wanted to be there and ask questions and be involved.”