CHRISTIAN HORNER has shared the alarming experience he faced when he had a panic attack during a Formula One race.

The former Red Bull team principal managed the squad for over 20 years before his dismissal last summer, which came with a £67 million severance payout.

Now 52, Horner has found ample time to reflect on his career in the sport and to enjoy his newfound leisure.

During this time, he has published a book titled Drive, which is set for full release on October 26.

To promote his book, he is embarking on a tour meeting fans across the UK, which began in York on Saturday.

During the inaugural fan meeting, Horner covered various topics, including the possibility of returning to F1, discussions to sign notable drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, as well as his relationship with Spice Girl Geri Horner.

In a revealing moment during the evening, the former F1 chief recalled when he recognized he was having a panic attack, initially mistaking it for a “heart attack.”

He recounted: “I just had anxiety. It was around 2011 or 2012 during one of those warm days in Hockenheim, Germany. I had a couple of cappuccinos that morning, and I think I’d drunk half a Red Bull.”

“While sitting on the pit wall, I became acutely aware of my breathing.

“Suddenly, I started feeling dizzy, and I attributed it to excessive caffeine, but everything around me began to spin.

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“I felt pins and needles in my fingers and thought, ‘Oh no, I’m having a heart attack.’ I avoided coffee for the rest of that day and the entire weekend.”

At that time, Red Bull was amidst a streak of winning four consecutive constructors’ and drivers’ championships with Sebastian Vettel.

However, Horner admitted that the stress of being the team’s sole leader was weighing heavily on him.

“I experienced it again during a meeting at the factory, and I had to excuse myself because I sensed my breathing was becoming increasingly shallow.

“I went to get myself checked out, and they reassured me, ‘Mr. Horner, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. It seems you’ve had what’s known as an anxiety attack.’

“I thought, ‘Why am I having an anxiety attack? We’re winning races, things are going well, etc.’

“I believe it was my body’s way of signaling ‘whoa,’ due to the relentless travel, the jet lag, the quick transitions from planes to the office, and the ever-present pressure as my phone was always at my bedside.”

Horner expressed immense pride in his tenure at Red Bull, especially witnessing the in-house developed engine he closely monitored achieve victories under Max Verstappen in the final two F1 races of the season.

He concluded, “I recognize now that I lacked discipline during that period, and my body was telling me to ‘stop mistreating me.’

“Once I identified the symptoms, I learned to react by taking deep breaths or going for a walk, which helped me regain control.”

“I put on my gym clothes, skipped the coffee shop, and went for a run instead.”

Previously, he admitted to having experienced panic attacks following the “painful” ending of his time with Red Bull, labeling the termination just after the British Grand Prix in 2025 as “brutal.”