Christian Horner received £100m Red Bull exit payout after July 2025 departure

Christian Horner walked away from Red Bull Racing with a combined £100.482million compensation package after his departure from the Milton Keynes team in the summer of 2025, according to annual financial filings published at UK Companies House.

The documents, filed for Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technologies — both of which listed Horner as a director — break down the settlement into two separate payments: £33.494million from Red Bull Racing and £66.988million from Red Bull Technologies, both classified as compensation for loss of office.

Horner was replaced as CEO and team principal on 9 July 2025 by Laurent Mekies, who had previously led sister outfit Racing Bulls. Horner formally left the wider Red Bull Group on 13 August 2025, ending a tenure of more than two decades at the helm of one of Formula 1’s most successful operations.

Since his exit, Horner’s name has circulated in connection with several teams, including Alpine and Ferrari, though no formal role has materialised. He made his first return to the F1 paddock at the 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where he described the visit as a personal one.

“First time I’ve come back, so it’s great to be back here at Silverstone,” Horner said. “Ultimately, I’m a fan. I’ve not missed one since ‘93, so it’s good to be here.”

Asked whether a competitive return to the sport remained a possibility, Horner was measured but did not close the door. “I’ve enjoyed my time out. I did 20 years straight with the Red Bull guys,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever had a bit of time to get off the hamster wheel. But for me, I’d only look at doing the right thing, something that really had an opportunity to win at the end of the day.”

Horner oversaw four constructors’ championships and ten drivers’ titles during his time at Red Bull, including Max Verstappen’s four consecutive world championships between 2021 and 2024.