Horner under fire from media: 'Are you bigger than the team?'

However, Horner - again - was not tempted to make a piquant statement about his future at Red Bull. "I think if you speak with Adrian and look at the statements that he's put out Adrian's decided that the timing for him is now after pretty much 35 years with the team and the strength and the engineering depth that we have to step away and we knew that the time was coming and we've built a structure in place to be able to pick up the baton and carry on with it. That's something that's been put in place over the last five or six years.," Horner said, expertly staying away from the initial question.

Horner: 'Newey and I remain friends'

Horner is even convinced that the Chief Technical Officer's departure has nothing to do with the affair surrounding himself. "I've spoken to Adrian at length about it and Adrian's position is very good, we've enjoyed a great relationship, and we continue to enjoy a great relationship, we're friends as well as work colleagues and he's done a huge amount for this team we'll be sad to see him leave but he's left the team in good shape and we've got a great team of people and strength and depth to take us forward but he's the greatest designer in Formula 1 history."

And so Red Bull Racing has to go on without him: "Unfortunately, nothing is forever and Adrian was at Williams for seven years, he was at McLaren for seven years and we managed to have him for 18 years so I think we've enjoyed some great moments on and off track, it's been a wonderful journey with Adrian. He's a friend,  he's the godfather to my children and we remain friends," Horner said.