Christian Horner is a British motorsport executive and former racing driver.
Since 2005, he has been the team principal of the Red Bull Formula One team, leading them to 13 world titles – 6 Constructors’ Championships and 7 Drivers’ Championships.
Horner started his motorsport career as a racing driver, competing in various junior formulae like Formula Renault, Formula 3 and Formula 3000 in the 1990s.
In 1999, he founded the Arden International racing team, which competed in Formula 3000 and later GP2.
In 2005, Horner was appointed as the team principal of the newly formed Red Bull Racing Formula One team at the age of 31, making him the youngest team principal in F1 history.
Under his leadership, Red Bull has become one of the most successful teams in the sport, winning multiple championships with drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
Net worth | $50 million |
Profession | Motorsport executive, former racing drive |
Date of birth | November 16, 1973 |
Nationality | English |
Background
Horner was born on November 16, 1973 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England.
He was born into a family involved in the car industry – his grandfather worked as the purchasing manager at the Standard Motor Company in Coventry, before establishing an agency with Horner’s father to supply components to motor manufacturers in the Midlands.
Horner was educated at Arnold Lodge School in Leamington Spa and then Warwick School.
He has two brothers, Jamie and Guy.
Horner’s father, Garry Horner, helped Christian set up his racing team Arden in 1997 by supplying him with a loan.
His parents did not attend his wedding to Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell in 2015, as they were “absolutely devastated” by the marriage.
Net worth
Horner’s net worth is estimated to be around $50 million.
His primary source of income is his role as the team principal of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, where he earns a salary reportedly above $10 million per year.
Additionally, Horner has made investments and owns multiple properties, including rural estates in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire and luxury cars like a McLaren 720S and a Ferrari F8.
Despite his significant earnings, he is not an equity owner of Red Bull Racing but has secured profitable agreements with partners and sponsors to enhance the team’s financial position.
Real estate
Horner and his wife, Geri Halliwell, own two luxurious country homes in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Their Oxfordshire estate in Marston St. Lawrence near Banbury features a swimming pool, boating lake, sprawling fields and space for farm animals like donkeys, goats and chickens.
The property is lavishly kitted out with various impressive features, including a pond, a farm with miniature donkeys, horses and goats and a spacious kitchen where Geri enjoys cooking and baking.
Their Hertfordshire property is more private and less shared online, maintaining their privacy.
The couple’s homes reflect their wealth and provide them with a serene retreat away from the fast-paced world of Formula 1.
Salary
Horner’s motorsport career began in 1991 when he won a Formula Renault scholarship.
He then moved up the single-seater ladder, competing in British Formula Renault 2.0 in 1992, where he secured a single race victory on his way to fourth in the championship.
Horner then progressed to Formula 3000 (the top feeder series to F1 at the time) in 1997, racing for his own team, Arden International.
While he only managed to score a single point as a driver over two seasons, he found more success in running the Arden team.
Under his management, Arden won the Formula 3000 teams’ championship in 2002, 2003 and 2004, with drivers Björn Wirdheim, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Tomas Enge, although Enge’s 2002 title was later stripped due to a failed drug test.
Horner’s success in running Arden caught the attention of Red Bull, who appointed him as the team principal of their new Formula 1 team, Red Bull Racing, in 2005 at the age of 31, making him the youngest team principal in F1 history.
Entry into Formula 1
Horner was appointed as the team principal of Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team in 2005.
Prior to joining Red Bull, he had built up experience in motorsport management by running his own Formula 3000 (now GP2) team, Arden International, since 1997.
Under his leadership, Arden won the Formula 3000 teams’ championship in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Horner’s success with Arden caught the attention of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who was looking to invest more heavily in Formula 1 after purchasing the struggling Jaguar team.
Mateschitz appointed Horner as the team principal of the newly rebranded Red Bull Racing team, entrusting him to lead the team’s entry into F1.
Alongside the experienced driver David Coulthard, who joined from McLaren, Horner helped establish Red Bull as a midfield team in their debut season in 2005.
Over the following years, he played a key role in guiding Red Bull’s rise to become one of the most successful teams in F1, winning multiple Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.
Success at Redbull
Horner’s success at Red Bull Racing has been monumental, leading the team to unprecedented achievements in Formula 1.
His strategic vision, commitment to fostering a winning culture, and ability to assemble a world-class team have been instrumental in Red Bull’s dominance in the sport.
Horner’s emphasis on teamwork, dedication to excellence, and unwavering focus on success have been key factors in Red Bull’s remarkable achievements in Formula 1.
Personal life
Horner’s wife is Geri Halliwell, a former Spice Girls member.
Together, they have three children, namely Olivia Horner, Christian’s daughter from his first marriage to Beverley; Bluebell Madonna Halliwell, Geri’s daughter from her previous relationship with Sacha Gervasi; and Montague George Hector Horner, the son of Christian and Geri Halliwell.
Controversy
In February 2024, Red Bull GmbH, the parent company of the Red Bull Formula 1 team, confirmed that they had launched an independent investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior made against Horner, the team principal and CEO.
The allegations were understood to have been made by a female Red Bull employee.
Horner vehemently denied the claims against him and said he was cooperating fully with the investigation process.
The investigation was carried out by an external specialist barrister.
Horner was first interviewed by the barrister in early February, in a meeting that lasted over 8 hours, but no resolution was reached at that time.
In late February, it was reported that the investigation was expected to conclude before the start of the 2024 F1 season.
On February 28th, Red Bull announced that the grievance against Horner had been dismissed following the completion of the investigation.
However, the situation continued to evolve, with an email leak of alleged WhatsApp messages related to the investigation being sent to media, team bosses and senior F1 personnel.
This prompted further scrutiny, with Horner declining to comment on the authenticity of the leaked material.
Additionally, the employee at the center of the investigation was reported to be “very upset, very angry, very scared, very intimidated, very lonely” about the outcome, according to a close friend who spoke anonymously.
The friend claimed the employee was “struggling to understand” how the complaint was dismissed.