Red Bull finally parts way with Christian Horner, with the former CEO leaving with a reported £52 million severance package
Christian Horner has formally left Oracle Red Bull Racing, drawing a line under one of Formula 1’s most successful – and most turbulent – leadership tenures.
The team announced today (September 22), that Horner’s 20-year spell as Team Principal and CEO had come to an end, confirming his exit with immediate effect. A source close to the team told BBC Sport he had agreed a severance package worth £52m, one of the largest in sports history.
Appointed in 2005 at just 31 years old, Horner transformed Red Bull Racing from a new entrant into a dominant force. Under his guidance, the Milton Keynes-based outfit secured six Constructors’ Championships and eight Drivers’ titles, with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen leading the charge.
The team also claimed 124 race victories, 287 podiums and 107 pole positions. Off the track, Horner oversaw the establishment of Red Bull Advanced Technologies and spearheaded the creation of Red Bull Powertrains, which will partner with Ford in 2026.
“Leading Red Bull Racing has been an honour and a privilege,” Horner said in a farewell statement. “My biggest satisfaction has been assembling and leading the most amazing group of talented and driven individuals and seeing them take on and beat some of the biggest automotive brands in the world.”
Exit after internal turmoil
Horner’s departure follows a difficult 18 months for the team. Allegations of sexual harassment, made public in February 2024, prompted two investigations which ultimately cleared him, but the fallout exposed deeper power struggles within Red Bull.
The exits of legendary designer Adrian Newey this year, and long-time sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and senior strategist Will Courtenay in 2024, further destabilised the team. Red Bull’s loss of form in the first half of this season, including a disappointing British Grand Prix, intensified pressure on leadership.
By July, Horner had been dismissed from his operational duties and replaced by Laurent Mekies, former Ferrari Racing Director and most recently head of Red Bull’s junior outfit, Racing Bulls.
Shareholder dynamics and severance
According to reports, Horner lost the backing of key shareholders, including Chalerm Yoovidhya, who had initially defended him. Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments at Red Bull GmbH, ultimately decided to remove him.
“Christian has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1,” Mintzlaff said. “Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”
Horner’s salary was reported at £10m annually under a contract that had been set to run until 2030, making the severance settlement particularly significant.
Christian Horner’s full statement:
“Leading Red Bull Racing has been an honour and privilege. When we started in 2005, none of us could have imagined the journey ahead — the championships, the races, the people, the memories. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved as a team breaking records and reaching heights no-one would ever believe were possible and I will forever carry that with me.
However for me my biggest satisfaction has been assembling and leading the most amazing group of talented and driven individuals and seeing them flourish as a subsidiary of an Energy Drinks company and seeing them take on and beat some of the biggest automotive brands in the world.
I wish Laurent, Max, Yuki and all of the Red Bull Technology Group the very best for the future. I am confident they will, as ever, deliver success on the track, for our fans, and continue to push to the maximum and I look forward to seeing the first Red Bull / Ford engine in the back of RB22 next year as well as the exciting RB17.
I would like to thank our incredible sponsors and partners for their unwavering support who have played a key role in all our success. I would like to say a big thank you to the fans for their ongoing belief and without whom there would be no Formula One.
Racing aside, I would also like to thank the shareholders, the late Dietrich Mateschitz for the opportunity he gave me as a 31 year old, Mark Mateschitz and Saravoot Yoovidhya and finally Chalerm and Daranee Yoovidhya for their friendship and commitment during my time at Red Bull as well as Oliver Mintzlaff and the Board for their guidance.“
