Christian Horner has been dismissed as Red Bull Racing team principal, following fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour. The 51-year-old, who led the team since its Formula One debut in 2005, was cleared twice last year after a similar complaint from a female colleague. He has been replaced by Laurent Mekies, formerly of sister team Racing Bulls.
The new allegations surfaced in a Dutch newspaper report, claiming a Red Bull employee made serious accusations to parent company Red Bull GmbH. Horner, married to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, strongly denies the claims. An external barrister is conducting an investigation, which Red Bull says is being taken “extremely seriously”.
Horner had remained in his role during the earlier probe, attending the 2024 car launch and describing the situation as a “distraction”. Star driver Max Verstappen maintained a “very good” relationship with him, while rivals like Toto Wolff called for transparency. Ford, a future Red Bull partner, also expressed concern over the scandal.
