Christian Horner has been sensationally sacked as Red Bull F1 boss this morning.
The 51-year-old has been in charge of the team since its inception in Formula One in 2005, leading them to six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ crowns.
But just one year on from the personal scandal involving alleged “inappropriate behaviour” with a female colleague – an accusation he was cleared of twice after two internal investigations – Horner has on Wednesday morning been released with immediate effect.
Horner, who is married to Spice Girl pop star Geri Halliwell, has been replaced as CEO of Red Bull Racing by Laurent Mekies, formerly the team principal at sister team Racing Bulls. It is understood that Horner has not been given a clear reason as to why he has been released.
Red Bull CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, Oliver Mintzlaff, said in a statement: "We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years.
“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."
Red Bull endured a race to forget at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, with pole-sitter Max Verstappen finishing fifth, and the team are now positioned a distant fourth in the constructors’ standings at the halfway stage of the 2025 season.
However, this announcement still comes as a mighty shock to the team at Milton Keynes and the whole F1 paddock.
Horner, who has been linked with Ferrari this season, was the longest-serving team boss in Formula One and guided Red Bull to 124 grand prix victories during his time in charge. Both Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen claimed four drivers’ championships under his guidance.
Yet Horner’s career and personal life were rocked by last year’s scandal involving a female colleague, including the revelation of WhatsApp messages allegedly between Horner and the colleague in question.
Horner was cleared on the eve of the 2024 season-opening race in Bahrain, before his wife Halliwell dramatically stood by him upon entering the paddock on race day.
Horner’s accuser appealed the verdict, but that was dismissed last August, with Horner admitting he was “relieved” that the saga had seemingly come to an end.
Yet while Horner has overseen a period of dominance in recent years, the exit of senior figures such as star designer Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and engineer Rob Marshall have not helped Horner’s precarious position.
Verstappen’s father, Jos, has also been in conflict with Horner, particularly in the wake of the “inappropriate behaviour” scandal at the start of last year. Jos stated that he believed the team would “explode” if Horner remained in charge.
Red Bull have won two races this season, but Verstappen now lies 69 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. The team also changed drivers after just two races this season, with Liam Lawson dropped for Yuki Tsunoda.
Ex-Ferrari engineer Mekies now takes over as Red Bull F1 CEO from the next race, the Belgian Grand Prix (25-27 July), round 13 of the 2025 season.
