Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has been pictured celebrating his 52nd birthday with his wife, Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, showing remarkable resilience after his dramatic dismissal from the Formula One team in July.
A Birthday Celebration Amid Turbulent Times
The former racer appeared in good spirits as he marked his birthday on Sunday, sharing a photograph online of the celebration. Halliwell presented her husband with a white cake adorned with multi-coloured candles, with Horner expressing gratitude to well-wishers by writing: 'Thanks for all the birthday wishes'.
This joyful moment comes just months after Horner's shock departure from Red Bull Racing, where he had served as team principal since the squad's Formula One debut in 2005. His dismissal on Wednesday 9 July 2025 ended the longest reign of any team principal in the sport's history.
The End of an Era at Red Bull Racing
Red Bull confirmed Horner's departure in an official statement, announcing they had released him from his operational duties and appointed Laurent Mekies as the new CEO of Red Bull Racing. The decision came abruptly following the British Grand Prix, with Horner reportedly given no explanation for his firing.
During his remarkable twenty-year tenure at the Milton Keynes-based team, Horner oversaw one of the most successful periods in Formula One history. Under his leadership, Red Bull secured eight drivers' world championships and six constructors' titles, masterminding dominant eras with both Sebastian Vettel and current champion Max Verstappen.
Scandal and Support Through Difficult Times
Horner's departure followed a year-long scandal involving allegations about messages he apparently sent to a female employee. Although he was cleared twice in internal investigations and vehemently denied all claims, the controversy continued to shadow his leadership.
The situation escalated when screenshots of alleged WhatsApp messages between Horner and a Red Bull employee were leaked anonymously, despite an external three-week investigation having previously cleared him of all allegations of coercive behaviour.
Throughout the turmoil, Geri Halliwell stood firmly by her husband's side, demonstrating their strong partnership. The couple, who share seven-year-old son Monty and have children from previous relationships, have consistently supported each other publicly. In August, Christian celebrated Geri's 53rd birthday on Instagram, sharing a radiant snap of his beaming wife with her birthday cake and captioning it: 'Happy birthday to my amazing wife'.
While the power struggle behind Horner's dismissal remains officially unexplained, his birthday celebrations demonstrate his determination to move forward positively after one of the most challenging periods of his career.
