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Topics: Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1, Motorsport, Moto GP
Tom Jenkins
Topics: Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1, Motorsport, Moto GP
Christian Horner has been told in 'private conversations' to explore a new career path after he officially left Red Bull Racing on Monday.
The 51-year-old was relieved of his duties following the 2025 British Grand Prix which saw Max Verstappen finish in 5th place and Yuki Tsunoda in 15th.
Horner had remained part of the Red Bull family in the 10 weeks since, however, the team have now formally announced his exit after reaching an £80 million settlement.
An official statement from Red Bull's chief executive of corporate projects and investments, Oliver Mintzlaff, said: "We would like to thank Christian for his exceptional work over the last 20 years.
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"With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.
"Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history."
According to The Daily Mail, the settlement allows Horner to make a swift return to Formula 1 from next season, something that it is understood he is keen to do.
However, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has privately advised Horner to take on a new challenge in motorsport by running the leading motorcycle series MotoGP.
The 94-year-old who ran F1 for 39 years prior to 2017 believes Horner could become the 'Ecclestone of two wheels' with MotoGP having an extremely untapped potential for growth.
MotoGP is one of the most well-followed motorsports in the world, with eight-time world champion Marc Marquez the current face of the sport.
Despite this, grandstands at Silverstone are rarely full for the British GP, and with the sudden rise of F1 over the last decade, MotoGP could certainly be ready to explode.
“Leading Red Bull Racing has been an honour and privilege," Horner said in a statement shared by Red Bull.
"When we started in 2005, none of us could have imagined the journey ahead – the championships, the races, the people, the memories.
"I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved as a team, breaking records and reaching heights no-one would ever believe were possible and I will forever carry that with me.
"However, for me my biggest satisfaction has been assembling and leading the most amazing group of talented and driven individuals and seeing them flourish as a subsidiary of an energy drinks company and seeing them take on and beat some of the biggest automotive brands in the world."
He added: "I wish Laurent, Max, Yuki and all of the Red Bull Technology Group the very best for the future. I am confident they will, as ever, deliver success on the track, for our fans, and continue to push to the maximum and I look forward to seeing the first Red Bull / Ford engine in the back of RB22 next year as well as the exciting RB17."