Former Red Bull team principal and chief executive Christian Horner walked away with more than £100 million after being sacked by the Formula One team, newly published company accounts have revealed.
Horner received a combined £100.482 million in compensation for losing his jobs across two Red Bull companies following his departure in 2025.
That works out at roughly $133 million.
The figure is considerably higher than the £67 million payment initially highlighted in accounts for Red Bull Technology.
Those documents show Horner received £66.988 million in compensation for loss of office from the company. But another set of accounts for Red Bull Racing lists a further £33.494 million payment, taking the combined compensation past the £100 million mark.
Horner was removed from his roles as Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO in July 2025 after spending two decades in charge.
He officially left the wider Red Bull organisation the following month.
The size of the payout becomes easier to understand when one detail is taken into account: Horner still had years left on his contract.
His deal was understood to run until 2030, leaving Red Bull facing a potentially expensive settlement when it decided to end the relationship early.
Horner had been in charge since Red Bull entered Formula One in 2005.
During that time, the team won eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles, while Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen became dominant figures during different eras of Red Bull’s success.
His final period at the team was far less settled.
Horner faced allegations of inappropriate behaviour from a female employee, which he denied. The complaint against him was dismissed following an internal investigation and later again on appeal.
His dismissal came amid wider changes at Red Bull and a period of internal tension around the Formula One operation.
Laurent Mekies eventually replaced him as team principal.
Horner has been linked with several teams and recently described Ferrari as a “dream” destination, although the Italian team has publicly backed its current team principal Fred Vasseur.
2026-10-08 19:54:00
