Christian Horner has been sacked by Red Bull after 20 years as the Formula 1 team's principal.
Horner's firing was confirmed in a statement by Red Bull on Wednesday morning 17 months after he was accused of inappropriate behaviour by an employee. He was later cleared in an investigation.
Horner's ouster from the Austrian team he has led since its inception in 2005 also follows speculation that defending F1 drivers' world champion Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull for rivals Mercedes next season.
"Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today and has appointed Laurent Mekies as chief executive of Red Bull Racing," Red Bull said in a statement.
“We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years.” said Oliver Mintzlaff, chief executive of corporate projects and investments at Red Bull.
“With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.
"Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”
Under Horner's leadership, Red Bull won six constructors' championships and eight drivers' championships -- four for Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) and four for Verstappen (2021-2024).
It emerged during the investigation into Horner for sending hundreds of intimate texts to a female colleague that Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, had openly called for Horner's removal.
Although Horner had reportedly been locked in a power struggle with Red Bull Racing parent Red Bull GmbH, his sacking comes as a surprise. There was no indication of any push against him at the British Grand Prix over the weekend.
Horner, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has a reported net worth of £50 million (€68m) and was believed to be earning £8m (€10.9m) per year to lead Red Bull, making him the top-earning team principal in the F1 paddock.
Photo: Geri Horner and Christian Horner after the World Premiere of F1 The Movie on June 16, 2025 in New York. (Pic: Noam Galai/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
