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
Image credits: Vince Mignott / Getty Images
“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.
Image credits: Clive Mason / Getty Images
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.
Reports claimed that “no reason was given to him” for his release
Image credits: Mark Thompson / Getty Images
In February 2024, a female colleague accused the now-sacked F1 boss of “inappropriate, controlling behavior.”
As the scandal unfolded, the Spice Girls alum was reportedly “mortified and angry” over the claims against her husband, whom she married in 2015, sources claimed.
“Geri has been in floods of tears all weekend while looking after her kids,” a source close to Ginger Spice told The Sun in February last year.
“She is insisting Christian has done nothing wrong,” the source added.
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.
Image credits: Qian Jun / Getty Images
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.
Sources claimed people were upset with Christian staying in his position with the team.
“There is tension here while he remains in his position,” Max Verstappen’s father Jos told the Daily Mail at the time.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode,” said Jos, who is known to have an icy relationship with Christian.
The female complainant, who accused Christian, submitted a formal appeal to Red Bull GmbH in March 2024 over their decision to clear Christian.
The chief was once again exonerated in August.
“Red Bull gave him wings,” one quipped online after news of the firing
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