Jeremy Clarkson reveals text to Christian Horner after surprise sacking

Jeremy Clarkson has compared Christian Horner’s surprise exit from Red Bull to his own experience leaving the BBC. In his latest column for The Sun, the former Top Gear host backed Horner, adding that he texted the former team principal and CEO upon hearing the news.

“I sent him a text after the news of his dismissal broke, pointing out that I’ve been in his shoes in the past,” the Clarkson’s Farm presenter wrote. “I explained that when you wake the following morning, it’s easy to think, ‘Well, that’s that, then’. But in my case, that wasn’t that. I hadn’t trodden on a snake. I’d trodden on a ladder. And I bet he does, too.”

Clarkson left the BBC in 2015 after he punched Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon. After what became known as the famous fracas, the broadcaster opted against renewing Clarkson’s contract on the show, bringing the 2002 version of the car show to a sudden end. 

Amazon quickly swooped in, however, offering Clarkson and his co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May a reported $250 million deal for three seasons of what became known as The Grand Tour. On its release in November 2016, it became the streaming service’s most-watched premiere.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

But as the three started to lose their passion for motoring, Clarkson turned to his farmland for revenue, releasing Clarkson’s Farm to much acclaim. Much like himself, Clarkson expects a similar level of success from Horner now that he’s left the Milton Keynes-based team.

“I spent a bit of time with Christian at the [British] Grand Prix on Sunday. And it was plain he had no inkling at all that the bullet was coming,” he admitted.

“He was with his 11-year-old daughter, Olivia, whose mother had just died of eye cancer. And we mostly talked about that and how the poor little mite was coping.”

Clarkson’s confidence in Horner is likely justified. With 20 years of experience building one of Formula 1’s most successful teams from scratch, he has the skills that struggling – or new – teams crave.

“The clever money is saying he’ll go to Alpine,” he continued, “but next year they will have Mercedes engines. Which means Christian would have to work with Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff. And as those two really don’t get on, I can’t see that happening.”

F1 pundits largely agree with this assessment, with Sky Sports F1 presenter Karun Chandhok agreeing.

“I could see him landing at Alpine more than I could see him landing at Ferrari now,” he said on The F1 Show podcast.

But with F1 expanding, Clarkson believes there are further opportunities than those at the Enstone outfit. 

“Audi is coming into the sport next year, and Cadillac. And there’s talk the Chinese are making F1 noises. And all of them would jump at the chance of getting Horner.”

His expectations for Red Bull are not as positive, however.

“Well, look what happened to Man United when Ferguson was no longer at the helm,” he wrote. “On that basis, this once-great team may well end up, in a couple of years, in Formula 4.”