Horner reveals panic attacks and anxiety during two decades at Red Bull

Christian Horner has revealed he suffered repeated panic attacks throughout his time as Red Bull Racing team principal, disclosing in an interview with The Guardian that the relentless pressure of managing a championship-winning Formula 1 operation took a serious physiological toll he kept hidden for years.

The 52-year-old, who led Red Bull from the team’s formation in 2005 until his departure in July 2025, described experiencing episodes of dizziness and breathing difficulties during race weekends that he initially tried to explain away as fatigue or excessive coffee consumption.

“I didn’t know what it was,” Horner said. “You suddenly feel dizzy and conscious of your breathing, and you think there’s something strange going on. I put it down to having had too much coffee on an oppressive, muggy, thundery day.”

When the episodes continued, Horner sought medical advice and was told there was no physical cause. “Then it happened again. I got checked out, and there was nothing physically the matter,” he revealed. “They said, ‘We think you have anxiety. Your breathing’s very shallow.’ It was my body telling me you’re pushing pretty hard here. I’m able to recognise the symptoms now and let it go, and breathe.”

Horner also spoke about the psychological impact of his sudden exit from Red Bull, describing the loss of a role that had defined his identity for two decades as a source of profound existential reflection. Having been the central decision-maker at Milton Keynes across eight constructors’ championships, the abrupt removal from that environment left a significant void.

In a notable moment of candour, Horner praised his long-time rival Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal who has spoken publicly about his own experience with clinical depression and therapy. “Toto was very brave to talk openly about such a factor for people our age,” Horner acknowledged, crediting Wolff’s openness as meaningful for others in similar high-pressure leadership roles.

The disclosure adds to a growing body of public conversation around mental health in elite motorsport, where team principals and drivers alike operate under sustained scrutiny across a calendar that now spans more than 20 race weekends per season.