Red Bull Racing paid Christian Horner £33.5m in compensation for losing his post following his departure as team principal and chief executive of the Formula One team, according to accounts filed this week at Companies House.
The payment was disclosed in the Milton Keynes team account for 2025, which was recorded as “compensation for loss of position”.
Horner, 52, was also paid £4.4m in salary before he left, taking his total earnings to around £38m. This equates to £729,000 per week.
Horner leaves his post in July 2025. Red Bull announced on July 9 of that year Laurent Mekies will take over with immediate effectMoving from the same role in the sister team Racing Bulls, as Business Matters reported at the time.
We reported in July 2025 that he had been fired, and Red Bull did not give a specific reason for the change.
Red Bull’s Oliver Mintzlaff said in a statement at the time: “We want to thank Christian Horner for his incredible work over the past 20 years.”
Company House records show that Horner’s appointment as a director of Red Bull Racing Limited ended on August 13, 2025. Mekies was appointed as a director of the company on August 28, 2025, the same notes.
Between 2005 and 2025 Horner led the team to eight drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles and 124 race victories, Business Matters has previously reported.
Allegations and investigations
Horner is accused of controlling behavior toward female employees. He has always denied the claims and has twice been cleared of internal investigations at Red Bull, the Daily Mail reported.
In February 2024, a Red Bull spokesperson said: “An independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner has been completed, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.”
The alleged text exchange between Horner and the employee was made public in an email sent to Formula One figures ahead of the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.
The woman, whose identity cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, has since parted company with the next employer in motor racing. It was reported in August that he left the role ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, saying he understood his position was being terminated after his new boss lost confidence “due to a lack of tact”.
We reported on May 30 that he had appointed sports investment advisor by Oakley Capitala London private equity firm founded by Peter Dubens.
Dubens said at the time: “Christian Horner is widely recognized as a successful leader in global sports.”
Oakley’s sports investments include GB1, the America’s Cup team formerly known as Athena Racing, padel racket brand NOX, Vice Golf and North Sails.
Horner is married to Geri Halliwell, 54, the former Spice Girls singer, who has been on the stand publicly since the news broke. The couple have three children and divide their time between their homes in Oxfordshire and London.