Six-time F1 grand prix winner Riccardo Patrese said it was \u201cwrong\u201d for Christian Horner to go through the experience he did, as an off-track saga played out through the final stages of his Red Bull career.<\/p>\n
Patrese therefore is \u201chappy\u201d for Horner, as a \u201cfriend\u201d of his, after a settlement was recently agreed between Horner and Red Bull<\/a>, as they officially parted ways.<\/p>\n Riccardo Patrese: Christian Horner \u2018was treated badly\u2019<\/p>\n Horner was dismissed as Red Bull Racing team boss with immediate effect shortly after the British Grand Prix. It brought his Red Bull career of 20-plus years to a close after a challenging final 18 months.<\/p>\n In addition to Red Bull\u2019s performance fading, Horner found himself caught up in an off-track saga after allegations of inappropriate behaviour from a fellow employee. Horner denied all accusations, and was cleared twice by Red Bull following internal investigations.<\/p>\n PlanetF1.com revealed<\/a>\u00a0in September that Horner and Red Bull reached a settlement agreement to officially part ways, believed to be worth around $100 million for Horner. The compromise agreed could free the 51-year-old to return to Formula 1 before the second half of next year.<\/p>\n Patrese \u2013 who finished runner-up in the 1992 World Championship with Williams \u2013 is unsure whether his \u201cfriend\u201d Horner will return to the sport, amid a sea of speculation over where he could pop back up on the F1 grid.<\/p>\n But, Patrese is pleased to see Horner \u201cget a lot of money\u201d following a challenging period in his life.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy for him because I\u2019m a friend of Christian,\u201d Patrese told\u00a0a gambling platform.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to him last year was wrong. His private life is his private life. I think he was treated badly and at the end he got a lot of money. Now probably he\u2019s having a little bit of time to relax at home. I saw him riding his horses.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s good for him that he could have so much money and I think he\u2019s a very capable person, that\u2019s for sure. It\u2019s up to him if he finds another F1 job, and whether he will come back or not.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Christian Horner from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 Christian Horner as F1\u2019s next team owner? Where former Red Bull boss might land in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 The depth of Horner\u2019s desire to win laid bare \u2013 even in \u2018every interview\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Horner has been linked with moves to the likes of Aston Martin, Alpine and Ferrari since being relieved of his Red Bull duties.\u00a0Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu, meanwhile, recently\u00a0confirmed that an \u201capproach\u201d<\/a>\u00a0had been made by Horner.<\/p>\n PlanetF1.com understands that Horner is not in active discussions to return to the sport, with his current focus being on family time.<\/p>\n