Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has claimed he did not instigate Liam Lawson’s firing from the team just two rounds into last season.

The team relegated Lawson to its junior squad Racing Bulls, promoting Yuki Tsunoda in his place. But Tsunoda also struggled to make an impression at the team and was dropped after finishing the year 17th in the championship, three places behind Lawson.

Horner claimed it “wasn’t his choice” to drop Lawson so early in the season, stating Red Bull’s former motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was behind the call. “I was always pushed to take drivers from the young driver programme,” said Horner in the new series of Drive to Survive. “Helmut was a big driver in it.”

Both of Lawson’s appearances for Red Bull came at tracks he had never previously driven on. Following his first-round elimination on his debut at Melbourne, Horner said “as we get to tracks that he starts to know, I think he’ll start to come alive.”

However after another poor performance at Shanghai, another unfamiliar track, Lawson was shown the door. His situation drew comparisons with Red Bull’s previous mid-season sackings of Pierre Gasly, in 2019, and Daniil Kvyat, in 2016.

Horner and Marko have both since left the team. Red Bull ousted Horner following the British Grand Prix and Marko departed in December.

According to Horner, Marko was the key mover in his exit, while denying claims it was instigated by the father of star driver Max Verstappen.

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“His father has never been my biggest fan,” said Horner. “He’s been outspoken about me but I don’t believe the Verstappens were responsible in any way. I think this was a decision made by [Red Bull’s CEO of investments and corporate projects] Oliver Mintzlaff with Helmut Marko advising from the sideline.”

“I think ultimately things changed within the business, within the group,” he added. “The founder died and after Dietrich [Mateschitz]’s death, I was probably deemed to have maybe too much control.”

Horner said he felt “a real sense of loss and hurt” over his departure from the team he introduced to F1 in 2005. “It was all rather sudden. I didn’t really get the chance to say a proper goodbye. I never imagined to be in this position.

“Of course your immediate reaction when you’re delivered a shit sandwich like that is to say ‘Fuck them’. I had something taken away from me, which wasn’t my choice, which was very precious to me.”

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