Horner Reveals He Suffered Panic Attacks During His F1 Career: “I Didn’t Know What It Was”
In an interview with The Guardian, Christian Horner revealed he suffered panic attacks during his F1 career, at first blaming too much coffee, and described an identity void after leaving Red Bull. He also praised Toto Wolff for speaking openly about depression.
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed that he suffered panic attacks during his F1 career, speaking to Donald McRae of The Guardian. For two decades, the 52-year-old presented a calm and composed exterior. In the interview, he spoke for the first time about the physical stress he was dealing with behind the scenes.
“I thought I’d had too much coffee”
Horner said he did not know what the first attack was. He suddenly felt dizzy and conscious of his breathing and thought something strange was going on. He put it down to too much coffee on an oppressive, thundery day. When it happened again, he went to see a doctor and learned there was nothing physically wrong. Doctors told him he was suffering from anxiety and that his breathing was shallow. He interpreted it as his body telling him he was pushing too hard. He says he can now recognise the symptoms and has learned to let go and breathe.
Praise for Wolff
Horner also described his long-time rival, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, as very brave for talking openly about depression and therapy. He said he had not experienced such issues himself, but that during this period he gained a greater appreciation for how people can suffer, particularly men in middle age.
The identity void
Horner’s stress symptoms were compounded when he unexpectedly left Red Bull in July 2025. After 20 years as the central decision-maker in Milton Keynes, he said it was suddenly taken away, and that he was forced to ask himself who he was, what he was and what his purpose was. He added that the timing of his departure was extremely difficult, because of a loss in his family. His daughter needed him more urgently, so he could not immediately process what had happened. He described the manner of his departure from Red Bull as “particularly brutal” and “very painful”.
Life off the 24-race carousel
Horner says Formula 1 remains the only arena that still excites him professionally, but stepping away from the calendar has given him an unprecedented reset. He repeated that what he misses most are the people, the team and the competition, not the travel and politics.