Pink Bull has confirmed that Christian Horner has now formally left the staff after reaching a settlement settlement. The Milton Keynes outfit sacked staff principal Christian Horner after 20 years on the helm. However whereas his tenure formed the outfit into some of the profitable in Formulation 1 historical past, it additionally got here with its justifiable share of controversy.
Horner joined the staff when it was created from the ashes of the previous Jaguar squad again forward of the 2005 season. Since then, he has led the aspect by way of two intervals of dominance, with Sebastian Vettel successful 4 consecutive titles from 2010 and Max Verstappen repeating the feat from 2021.
With the Brit in cost, Pink Bull has picked up 124 race wins – greater than historic staff Williams – 287 podiums and greater than 8,000 world championship factors.
Nonetheless, Pink Bull’s kind has fallen in latest months, and Horner himself has been embroiled in controversy that many consider has distracted the staff and led to its lacklustre outcomes. Now, with the Pink Bull boss changed by Laurent Mekies on the helm, we’ve damaged down the foremost occasions that led to Horner’s downfall.
February 2024 – Christian Horner’s behaviour investigated
Christian Horner, Group Principal, Pink Bull Racing
Photograph by: Erik Junius
The wheels began falling off Horner’s wagon again in February 2024, when the Pink Bull boss was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a feminine worker on the staff.
Unspecified claims have been dropped at the staff by an unidentified feminine worker on the Formulation 1 staff. Pink Bull subsequently opened an official probe into the matter, working with an impartial barrister to unravel the allegations.
In an announcement shared on the time, the staff mentioned: “The corporate takes these issues extraordinarily severely and the investigation can be accomplished as quickly as virtually doable. It will not be applicable to remark additional at the moment.”
When the allegations surfaced, Horner mentioned: “I fully deny these claims.”
The probe overshadowed the staff’s launch of its 2024 F1 challenger, however in the end cleared Horner of any wrongdoing – which ought to have drawn a line below the matter.
March 2024 – Messages leak on-line
Christian Horner, Group Principal, Pink Bull Racing, is surrounded by media
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
It didn’t, nevertheless, and on the eve of the 2024 Formulation 1 season the story about Horner’s alleged inappropriate behaviour in direction of a feminine Pink Bull worker was again within the highlight.
Nearly precisely 24 hours after Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing by Pink Bull’s investigation, a pair of nameless e-mail addresses distributed a file of paperwork that they claimed have been associated to the case.
The emails, which contained a hyperlink to a Google Drive folder containing the paperwork, acknowledged: “Following Pink Bull’s latest investigation and statements you’ll be to see the supplies connected.”
These supplies have been shared amongst round 100 Formulation 1 insiders, together with members of the media and staff personnel up and down the grid.
Pink Bull didn’t verify whether or not the paperwork have been actual or falsified, however the staff shared an announcement from Horner on the time saying that he “will not touch upon nameless hypothesis”.
April 2024 – Adrian Newey broadcasts Pink Bull exit
Adrian Newey, Chief Know-how Officer, Pink Bull Racing, arrives on the monitor
Photograph by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Pictures
Whereas by no means formally linked to the drama surrounding Pink Bull boss Christian Horner, star designer Adrian Newey introduced his departure from the staff only a few quick weeks after information of allegations towards Horner broke.
Newey was a longstanding member of the Pink Bull staff, having joined the squad in 2006 from McLaren – the place he penned championship-winning automobiles for Mika Hakkinen in 1998 and 1999.
His success continued at Pink Bull, and Newey was answerable for main the groups that designed automobiles choosing up eight drivers’ championships and 6 constructors’ championships over the course of simply 14 years.
Newey’s departure shook the staff, and he was adopted out the door by sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who’s now staff principal at Sauber/Audi, the place he has begun turning across the staff’s fortunes.
Newey, in the meantime, is now at Aston Martin, the place he’s making ready the British aspect for the sweeping new rules that can hit Formulation 1 in 2026.
Could 2024 – McLaren closes the hole
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Whereas Pink Bull handled off-track drama, its on-track efficiency began to falter.
Following a dominant interval that noticed it win consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ crowns in F1, the staff began the 2024 season on robust footing and received 4 out of the primary 5 grands prix of the season. However, in Miami, the tides tuned as McLaren introduced a dramatic improve to its MCL38, which unlocked hidden efficiency for the aspect.
Lando Norris received the primary race with the improve, in Miami, and the staff rapidly started closing the hole to Pink Bull as Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri piled on the strain. After F1’s summer time break, McLaren got here out combating and took the lead of the constructors’ championship after a one-two end in Azerbaijan.
June 2024 – Sergio Perez unravels
Marshals take away the broken automobile of Sergio Perez, Pink Bull Racing RB20
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Whereas Verstappen continued choosing up race wins and persistently led the drivers’ standings over the course of the 2024 season, the Pink Bull staff was hit by a drought of factors from its second automobile, which was piloted by Sergio Perez.
The Mexican began the season properly, ending on the rostrum in 4 of the primary 5 races of the yr. However as McLaren discovered its footing, Perez appeared to lose his kind with back-to-back DNFs in Monaco and Canada adopted by a slew of finishes within the low points-paying positions.
A brand new contract for Perez was introduced in June 2024 in an try to present the Mexican some stability and probably enhance his performances. However this didn’t work, and he picked up simply 21 championship factors after the summer time break. In distinction, Verstappen amassed 160 factors over these 10 races.
The writing was on the wall for Perez, and on the conclusion of the 2024 season, Pink Bull introduced that it was ending his contract early and selling junior driver Liam Lawson to the second Pink Bull seat.
December 2024 – Pink Bull loses the constructors’ crown
Sergio Perez, Pink Bull Racing RB20
Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Pictures
The floundering type of Perez paved the way in which for different groups to topple Pink Bull and, after McLaren jumped to the lead of the standings in Azerbaijan, the Milton Keynes-based staff’s fall continued.
With no rear gunner to help Verstappen whereas he fought for race wins, Pink Bull was handed by Ferrari within the staff standings. This meant that after two seasons wherein the squad had walked away with the crown, ending lots of of factors forward of its nearest rivals, Pink Bull’s reign was over.
Ultimately, the staff took third in 2024, greater than 60 factors adrift of second-placed Ferrari. Verstappen held on to his lead within the drivers’ standings and claimed a fourth consecutive world title on the finish of the season, however the closing outcomes proved one thing was going flawed at Pink Bull.
March 2025 – Liam Lawson demoted
Liam Lawson, Pink Bull Racing
Photograph by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
After the poor performances of Perez have been blamed for Pink Bull’s fall from the highest, Lawson stepped into the second Pink Bull seat stuffed with confidence and promise that he was the motive force who may lastly match Verstappen’s tempo.
He joined the squad following respectable performances within the Racing Bulls automobile within the closing levels of the 2024 season. However his stint as Verstappen’s fifth team-mate since he was promoted to Pink Bull halfway by way of the 2016 season received off to a lacklustre begin when he didn’t mild up the timings in pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Issues received worse on the first race of the yr in Australia, the place Lawson failed to complete the grand prix, and China, the place he completed twelfth and did not decide up any factors for the senior aspect.
As such, Pink Bull made the decision to demote Lawson after simply two races. He was despatched again to Racing Bulls and Yuki Tsunoda was given the decision as much as Pink Bull for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s sixth team-mate picked up his first level for the staff on his second outing in Bahrain, however that hasn’t paved the way in which for a slew of double-points finishes for Pink Bull within the ensuing races. The truth is, Tsunoda’s kind seems to have gotten worse since transferring to Pink Bull, and he’s now within the midst of a five-race run of pointless finishes in F1 and has, the truth is, solely added seven factors to Pink Bull’s tally since becoming a member of the aspect.
June 2025 – Pink Bull falls to fourth
Yuki Tsunoda, Pink Bull Racing
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Tsunoda’s drought of championship factors has hit Pink Bull’s standing and, after the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, it fell to fourth within the constructors’ championship behind Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
The blame for the drop in kind can hardly be positioned fully on Tsunoda’s shoulders, as each the Japanese driver, Verstappen and even predecessors Lawson and Perez all highlighted points with Pink Bull’s race automobiles.
The RB21 is reportedly a really tough automobile to come up with, with it having a really small window wherein drivers can extract the optimum efficiency from it. Verstappen evidently can get his automobile on this window on events, as he has picked up two race wins already in 2025, however his fifth-place end at Silverstone confirmed that even he isn’t a miracle employee.
Verstappen and Tsunoda are reportedly working onerous with the staff to beat the problems confronted by the RB21, which stem from its small working window and a common lack in tempo.
Upgrades are scheduled to reach at Spa-Francorchamps, and the staff has already swapped out parts at different European races. However Pink Bull continues to be taking part in catchup and seems to have a mountain to climb if it desires to get again to F1’s sharp finish this season.
June 2025 – Max Verstappen exit rumours swirl
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Pictures
Dwindling efficiency and a definite lack of race wins over the course of the 2025 season have all raised questions on Verstappen’s future with the Pink Bull staff. The Dutchman is contracted with the aspect till the top of 2028, and whereas ex-team boss Horner has repeatedly tried to close down the “noise” over his star driver’s future, rumours of a Verstappen exit proceed to swirl.
These claims reached fever pitch after the Austrian Grand Prix, the place a DNF for Verstappen virtually slammed the door on a fifth successive F1 title. Questions have been raised about performance-based exit clauses in Verstappen’s contract, with Mercedes reportedly on the prowl to try to poach the four-time world champion.
Verstappen has achieved little to silence these rumours and remained tight-lipped when requested about his future forward of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. May Verstappen’s potential impending departure from Pink Bull have been the ultimate nail in Horner’s coffin? Or was the previous staff boss let go to try to preserve the Dutchman in place till the conclusion of his contract?
September 2025 – Christian Horner formally leaves Pink Bull
Christian Horner, Pink Bull Racing
Photograph by: Mark Thompson – Getty Pictures
After being changed within the position of Pink Bull Racing CEO and staff principal by Laurent Mekies in July 2025, the Milton Keynes outfit confirmed on 22 September 2025 that Horner will formally go away the staff on the identical day, after agreeing a settlement.
The monetary particulars of the settlement haven’t been confirmed, and are unlikely to be, however it’s anticipated to be between $70million and $100million to cowl the lack of earnings and potential bonus funds till the top of his contract, which might have run till 2030.
Now that the settlement talks have come to an finish, it’s understood that Horner can be free to return to F1 in 2026, though particular timelines haven’t been confirmed.
