Zak Brown reignites Christian Horner feud with ‘changed by fame’ swipe

McLaren boss Zak Brown believes Christian Horner’s success and rising F1 fame caused him to “change” as a person, reigniting his long-running feud with the former Red Bull team principal.

Brown reflected on his relationship with Horner, saying that “we used to get on” before tensions began to escalate.

Horner, who left Red Bull earlier this year, is widely regarded as one of the sport’s most successful team principals. 

Over two decades, he led the team to multiple world titles with Sebastian Vettel and later with Max Verstappen.

McLaren’s resurgence under Brown’s leadership meant the pair clashed on several occasions, most notably following Red Bull’s 2021 cost cap breach.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Brown claimed Horner had changed as his success - and public profile - grew.

“I’ve known Christian for 30-plus years,” Brown said. “We used to get on. His results are amazing.

“So, hats off. But he’s changed. I think the Drive to Survive fame, the money, the glory, all got a bit much.”

Horner’s McLaren allegations

McLaren’s dominant start to the 2025 F1 season led to an allegation from Red Bull, who suggested the team were injecting water into their tyres to cool them and gain an unfair advantage.

McLaren’s primary strength over rivals has typically come in hotter conditions, where tyre wear is more severe.

After the season-opener in Australia, Horner highlighted McLaren's impressive tyre preservation.

“I think it’s different to everybody, yes, and what’s quite strange is that they enjoy great warm-up, but also very low degradation,” he said.

“Usually one comes at the expense of the other. So, they certainly at this circuit seem to have mastered that.”

Brown remains unhappy with Horner’s claim.

“At times, no. Back when I was racing, there were drivers who raced hard and squeezed competitors’ cars two wheels off the track. That’s OK,” Brown added.

“But other drivers squeeze you four wheels off the track. That’s not OK. I’m a two-wheels-off guy. Christian is a four-wheels-off guy.

“He made allegations towards our team. I can’t imagine he believed them. It was simply intended to disrupt us.

“Regardless of legality, everyone in the sport knows you wouldn’t do that for technical reasons.”

Horner’s next move in F1 remains unclear, with the 50-year-old linked to potential roles at Alpine and Ferrari. Aston Martin, Haas and Williams have all ruled out an approach.