Christian Horner has officially left the Red Bull Formula 1 team after finally agreeing an £80million severance package.
Shortly after the British Grand Prix in July, Red Bull announced that team principal Horner had been ‘released from his operational duties’, bringing to an end his 20-year reign at the team.
Horner, husband of Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, had been with Red Bull from the beginning, guiding them to eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships.
While he lost his job two months ago, the 51-year-old had not officially been sacked as Red Bull needed to agree a pay-out deal, with Horner still earning nearly £9m-a-year on a contract that ran till 2030.
Had it have been paid out in full, Horner would have received £110m but, according to the Daily Mail, after weeks of negotiation, the settlement has been reduced to £80m.
But crucially, it is said that had he been paid the full amount, he would not have been allowed to make a swift return to F1, something he wanted to avoid.
The negotiated settlement means Horner will be able to take up another job on the grid in 2026 – thought not at the start of the year.
As per The Race, Horner can only start work for a rival team at some point after the first few races of the next F1 season but before the summer break, which would put his earliest return date at around April 2026.
As for where Horner could go next, he has been linked with buying a share in the Alpine team – something his pay-out money should help him do – perhaps in collaboration with former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
Alpine boss Flavio Briatore is friend of Horner’s but has previously denied this will happen.
Christian Horner issues statement after Red Bull exit
After his official departure was confirmed on Monday, Red Bull released the following statement from Christian Horner:
‘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.
While Red Bull have dominated on the track over the past few years, Horner’s sacking did not come as major surprise given the long-standing reports of tension behind-the-scenes at the F1 team.
These were exasperated after Horner was accused of inappropriate and coercive behaviour toward a female employee at the start of 2024, allegations he has always denied and was cleared of after two internal investigations.
Jos Verstappen, father of four-time world champion and Red Bull’s star driver Max Verstappen, claimed the team would ‘explode’ if Horner remained in charge, and the feud between the pair never went away.
Pressure on the team principal grew as performances of the track plummeted in 2025 and Horner given the axe and replace by Racing Bull boss Laurent Mekies.
Results have improved of late for the team, with Verstappen winning the last two races in Italy and Azerbaijan to maybe put himself back in title contention.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.