Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner was fired from his position over a year after being accused of inappropriate behavior by a female employee.
After 20 years as team principal, the 51-year-old who is married to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell was dismissed amid the team’s declining form and internal disputes.
Laurent Mekies was appointed as Christian’s replacement as CEO at Red Bull Racing.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was sacked after 20 years with the team
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“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today [Wednesday 9 July 2025] and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing,” the company said in a Wednesday statement.
Laurent, from Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls, will be taking over Christian’s position, while Alan Permane will be promoted to Team Principal at Racing Bulls.
Christian’s wife and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell was left “mortified and angry” after the recent scandal
Image credits: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Oliver Mintzlaff, Managing director of parent company Red Bull GmbH, confirmed the news in a statement.
“We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” he said in a statement.
Christian was “instrumental” in establishing Red Bull Racing as “one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1” with his “tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking,” Oliver said.
Reports claimed that “no reason was given to him” for his release
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Christian was in charge of the Formula 1 team since its establishment in 2005, becoming F1’s youngest team principal when he was appointed.
Over the course of two decades, he led the team to eight drivers’ championship and six constructors’ championship titles
“No reason was given to him” for his release, according to Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle.
Image credits: Qian Jun / Getty Images
In February 2024, a female colleague accused the now-sacked F1 boss of “inappropriate, controlling behavior.”
Christian denied the allegations and was cleared by Red Bull after a rigorous three-week investigation.
But just 24-hours after the team announced that there were no findings of misconduct, an anonymous source leaked WhatsApp texts and pictures that were allegedly sent between Christian and the complainant.
Amid widespread speculation over the circulating material, Christian defiantly appeared hand-in-hand with Geri at the F1 paddock in Bahrain in March 2024.
They watched Max Verstappen score his first win of the season during the race weekend.
“Red Bull gave him wings,” one quipped online after news of the firing
