Christian Horner has left Red Bull after 20 years with the Milton Keynes outfit, it was confirmed on Monday.
The 51-year-old was effectively sacked as team principal back in July, shortly after the British Grand Prix. However, Horner still had a contract with Red Bull that ran until 2030.
That deal is now no longer in effect as Horner has been ‘permanently’ relieved of all duties. The Brit joined Red Bull after the company bought Jaguar in 2005 and played an instrumental role in guiding the team to seven drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships.
The exact reason for Horner’s sacking has never been revealed, but it is believed to be down to poor performances after a regression in technical development in 2025. It was reported that Max Verstappen pushed for Horner’s sacking, but they were rubbished by his camp.
Given Horner’s lengthy contract at Red Bull, the team would have had to dish out a substantial payout fee. But the 51-year-old could have got a lot more from the team.
Christian Horner sacrificed an extra £30m payout from Red Bull to speed up F1 return
Horner has received £80m from Red Bull to terminate his contract and leave the team. He must undergo a period of gardening leave in Milton Keynes.
This will allow him to find a new team in the summer of 2026. Horner was keen to leave as soon as possible so that he could begin plans for his next venture, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
Horner had ‘weeks of negotiation’ with Red Bull to reach a settlement over his contract. The report states that he would have received £110m if the team paid out his deal in full.
However, that would have denied him ‘as swift a return’ to F1 than midway through 2026, which Horner ‘wished to avoid’. Subsequently, the former Red Bull team principal sacrificed £30m to take an £80m payout from the team to allow an earlier exit.
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How has the atmosphere at Red Bull changed since Christian Horner’s exit?
Red Bull employees were in tears during Horner’s farewell speech at the factory. The team have undergone a significant change in leadership, with Laurent Mekies stepping up from Racing Bulls to replace him.
Mekies told staff he did not know why Horner was sacked, with the real reason never being disclosed. He has now been tasked with guiding the team during a transitional phase, with Red Bull set to become an engine supplier in 2026.
Mekies has given more control to Helmut Marko since Horner’s exit; the Austrian chief advisor had reportedly fallen out with the former team principal, leading to friction within the team.
Under the new regime, Red Bull seem to have turned a corner, with Verstappen winning the last two races in Monza and Baku. Verstappen is more ‘on board’ at Red Bull, as Mekies is keen to experiment; a huge sigh of relief for the team amid the Dutchman’s links to Mercedes earlier in the year.