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Christian Horner is out at Red Bull, formally and finally, with a nine-figure payout to cushion the fall. After two decades at the helm and 14 titles under his name, he leaves with a settlement worth around $100 million, free to pursue a return to Formula 1 by mid-2026 once his nine-month “gardening leave” ends. Ferrari, Alpine, Haas, and Aston Martin have all been floated as destinations.
What is striking is not just the money or the inevitability of his return, but the moral ease with which the sport has already moved on.
The Fall
It began in February 2024, when the press started to report Horner’s allegations of inappropriate conduct. Horner was accused of sending sexual messages to a female colleague and making repeated inappropriate remarks. Red Bull’s board pressed him to resign, while rumors spread that his removal was imminent.
At the Bahrain Grand Prix, Horner and Jos Verstappen, the father of Max, were seen in a heated exchange. Jos openly demanded Horner’s removal and warned that Red Bull risked being “torn apart” if he remained. By March, the accuser herself was suspended while Horner, cleared by an internal investigation that many called opaque, stayed in place.
The scandal came at a time of instability. Adrian Newey, the team’s legendary designer, left for Aston Martin. Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley joined Audi, and strategist Will Courtenay went to McLaren. Red Bull’s dominance faltered, with McLaren snatching the Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 1998. Max Verstappen’s fourth straight Drivers’ crown only partly masked the sense of unraveling.
By July 2025, Horner was dismissed as team principal and CEO. Yet, because his contract extended to 2030, Red Bull still owed him vast sums. Negotiations trimmed the figure, but the result was staggering: $100 million to walk away.
The Return
Now comes the irony. In most industries, allegations of misconduct, a public feud with a star driver’s family, and a team collapse would mean permanent exile. In Formula 1, Horner is already being treated as a prized free agent.
The reason lies in the fact that despite all the allegations, Horner remains a winner. Under Horner, Red Bull went from an upstart “energy drink team” in 2005 to a dynasty that toppled Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren. He proved he could build a team culture, manage talent, court sponsors, and navigate the labyrinth of F1 politics. To owners and investors, those skills outweigh the shadows of scandal.
And this is the moral paradox of Formula 1. Success rewrites everything. The same man accused of inappropriate conduct, blamed for toxicity inside the team, and ousted in disgrace, is now considered a coup hire. His flaws are treated as background noise compared to his ability to win.
The Market
Speculation is rampant. Ferrari was once rumored, though they extended Fred Vasseur. Aston Martin could use Horner’s leadership, but their pursuit of Max Verstappen makes Horner’s feud with Jos a serious obstacle. Alpine seems the likeliest fit: underperforming, politically unstable, yet with strong facilities, and Horner has close ties to Flavio Briatore, the team’s de facto boss. Haas is another option, a cheaper buy-in that could give Horner partial ownership, which is reportedly his preferred route.
For Horner, the trajectory is almost secure. Whether as a team boss or investor, he will land somewhere. His settlement not only frees him but practically guarantees him leverage.
The Moral
What does this say about Formula 1? It shows a sport that treats scandal as noise to be managed, not as a question of principle. Horner’s return is not about clearing his name beyond doubt. It is not about demonstrating change, reconciliation, or accountability. It is about performance, reputation, and the bottom line.
The troubling message is that talent and trophies outweigh everything else. A man who faced months of public scrutiny, who presided over infighting and departures that nearly broke Red Bull, can still expect to be embraced because his skill set is too valuable to waste.
It is not just a Horner story. It is a Formula 1 story. One that shows how easily success is allowed to eclipse misconduct, how quickly reputations are rebuilt when results are on the line, and how forgiving the sport is to its kings as long as they know how to win.
Horner himself put it best in his farewell. Leading Red Bull was “an honor and a privilege,” and his greatest pride was “assembling the most amazing group of talented and driven individuals.” He will forever be remembered as the architect of a dynasty. But now, he will be remembered as the man who walked away with $100 million and still found the grid wide open.
The scandal may have ended his Red Bull chapter, but the paddock has already decided. Christian Horner’s story is not over. In Formula 1, winning absolves almost everything.
Works Cited
Elshebiny, Yara. “Christian Horner Now Free to Return to F1 after $100 Million Red Bull Settlement.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 23 Sept. 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/yaraelshebiny/2025/09/22/christian-horner-now-free-to-return-to-f1-after-100-million-red-bull-settlement/.
Medalen, Trish. “Technology Drives F1 – and Christian Horner Fully Embraces It.” Red Bull, Red Bull, 24 May 2025, www.redbull.com/th-th/christian-horner-red-bull-basement-sessions.
Richards, Giles. “Turbulent End at Red Bull Fails to Deter Christian Horner’s Potential New Suitors | Giles Richards.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 Sept. 2025, www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/sep/24/turbulent-end-at-red-bull-fails-to-deter-christian-horners-potential-new-suitors.
By. Claire Yoonjeong Choi