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Christian Horner revealed that he thought he was having a heart attack or stroke during his time as Red Bull team principal. The 52-year-old reigned as CEO of the Formula One team for 20 years before being sacked last year, ending his historic tenure with the team, which included six World Constructors' Championships and eight World Drivers' Championships. While he remains officially unaffiliated with any team, the Brit has used his time away from F1 to write his new book, Drive, which is set to be released on Thursday, October 22. In the memoir, he reflects on the two decades he ran Red Bull for, as well as the medical episode he suffered that left him fearing the worst. "In 2014, during the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim, I remember everything tightening around me on what was a thundery day," Horner wrote.
"The air was muggy and close, and throughout the session I became weirdly aware of my own breathing. It felt laboured. Every exhale and inhale became a mechanical and conscious effort, rather than a natural event that took place without thought.
"Then I became light-headed and my chest tightened. After a while, everything returned to normal. But when the same thing happened a couple of days later, I checked Google and wondered whether I was having a heart attack or a stroke – I had just turned forty, after all. To make sure, when I visited the team medic and was given a clean bill of health, it was explained to me that I’d likely had a panic attack."
Horner admitted the emotional toll he had been shouldering was heavy and discussed the methods he used to lessen his stress. He explained: "I took it as a warning sign. Emotionally it felt as if I was holding the weight of the world on my shoulders, and a course of exercise, healthy living and time outdoors helped me to manage and regulate the understandable stresses of a challenging lifestyle.
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"In 2009, I had taken up running as a healthy release. At one point I even competed in the Silverstone half-marathon alongside Bernie’s [Ecclestone] wife, Fabiana, and Adrian [Newey], who dragged himself on a dodgy leg, having not recovered fully following an Achilles injury several years earlier.
"We raised a chunk of money for the Wings for Life charity, and I enjoyed the experience, apart from the moment when I was outpaced by somebody dressed as a carrot. Recognizing the cause enabled me to quickly identify the issue; my body was giving me a warning. More exercise and letting go of things beyond my control gave me a much healthier outlook."
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