Christian Horner Now Free To Return To F1 After $100 Million Red Bull Settlement

Christian Horner has officially parted ways with Red Bull after reaching an agreement over the termination of his contract, the team announced on Monday.

Horner was sacked from his roles as team principal and CEO of Red Bull in the wake of this year’s British Grand Prix in July, ending a 20-year tenure in charge.

The 51-year-old had a contract with the Milton Keynes outfit that was due to run until 2030. Following negotiations over the terms of his exit, the two sides reached a settlement agreement reportedly in the region of £75 million ($100 million) – about 75% of the estimated £100 million ($135 million) owed from the contract.

“We would like to thank Christian for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” said Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull GmbH’s chief executive officer of corporate projects and investments.

“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.”

Horner is now free from any remaining contractual obligations to Red Bull, leaving the door open for a return to F1 as soon as the summer of 2026.

There was speculation about a move to Ferrari before his departure, but the Italian outfit has since extended the contract of their team principal Fred Vasseur.

New entrant Cadillac has also ruled out any interest in the Briton.

“Leading Red Bull Racing has been an honour and privilege,” Horner’s statement read. “When we started in 2005, none of us could have imagined the journey ahead — the championships, the races, the people, the memories. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved as a team breaking records and reaching heights no-one would ever believe were possible and I will forever carry that with me.

“However for me my biggest satisfaction has been assembling and leading the most amazing group of talented and driven individuals and seeing them flourish as a subsidiary of an Energy Drinks company and seeing them take on and beat some of the biggest automotive brands in the world.”

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What Went Wrong With Christian Horner At Red Bull

Horner steered the ship at Red Bull since its F1 debut back in 2005 and led the squad to an impressive 14 titles during his tenure, but things took a downturn in his last year and a half.

At the beginning of 2024, accusations of ‘inappropriate behavior’ were made against Horner by a female employee, though an investigation later cleared him of any wrongdoing.

This was just the start of a tumultuous period for the team as Red Bull faced the departure of several key figures including legendary designer Adrian Newey, who made the switch to Aston Martin for 2025.

The Milton Keynes outfit also lost sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who took on the role of team principal at Kick Sauber/Audi, along with head of strategy Will Courtenay, who joined McLaren as sporting director.

Things escalated further with a public feud between Horner and Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, who called for the Briton’s removal during the investigation and warned that Red Bull was at risk of being “torn apart” if he remained in charge.

This period also exposed a power struggle at the team between Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko.

Things on the track weren’t going any smoother either as Red Bull’s grip on the constructors’ championship slipped away last year with McLaren clinching the title for the first time since 1998.

Although Verstappen did manage to secure his fourth consecutive title, the off-track antics and Red Bull’s declining form led to rumors that the Dutchman might be considering a move away from the team – all of which likely contributed to Horner’s eventual dismissal.

Following his exit, Red Bull went back to winning ways under the leadership of Laurent Mekies, with Verstappen clinching dominant wins in Monza and Baku.

These victories have put the world champion back in the race for his fifth consecutive title, shrinking the gap between himself and current leader Oscar Piastri from 104 points to just 69 in two race weekends.

“I wish Laurent, Max, Yuki and all of the Red Bull Technology Group the very best for the future,” Horner continued. “I am confident they will, as ever, deliver success on the track, for our fans, and continue to push to the maximum and I look forward to seeing the first Red Bull / Ford engine in the back of RB22 next year as well as the exciting RB17.”

With a settlement now reached, it remains to be seen which team Christian Horner will join next if he were to return to F1.

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