Christian Horner has been cleared of allegations made towards him by a feminine worker. Horner has denied any wrongdoing over the matter and Pink Bull mentioned the “grievance has been dismissed”.
The group principal of Pink Bull had beforehand dreamed of turning into a System 1 driver himself, however moved into group possession and ultimately led one of the crucial profitable F1 groups lately. Since its inception in 2005, Pink Bull has secured six constructors’ championships and 7 drivers’ championships underneath Horner’s watch.
Who’s Christian Horner?
Christian Horner is the group principal and CEO of Pink Bull Racing and a former racing driver himself. Born on 16 November 1973, his household had been already concerned within the automobile trade. Horner’s grandfather labored as a buying supervisor for Commonplace Motor Firm, earlier than serving to Garry Horner – Christian’s father – to create an company which provided elements to motor producers.
Horner began his profession as a racing driver competing within the British System Renault Championship, British System 2 and British System 3, earlier than taking a step again from driving in 1997 on the age of 25.
He made historical past when he grew to become the youngest-ever F1 group principal when he joined Pink Bull Racing in 2005 at 31 years previous. Having led the group since, Horner can also be the longest-serving group principal on the F1 grid.
Christian Horner racing profession
Like many, Christian Horner’s racing profession started in karting earlier than he achieved his System Renault scholarship in 1991. He was then given a British System Renault Championship seat with Manor Motorsport in 1992, the place he ended the season as a race winner and was the highest-placed rookie.
The next 12 months he completed second within the Class B Championship of British System 3 for P1 Motorsport, after successful 5 races. He moved to Fortec in 1994, ADR in 1995 after which TOMs in 1996, however was unable to safe any additional race victories within the championship. In 1996, Horner additionally competed within the British System 2 championship earlier than shifting as much as System 3000 in 1997.
Christian Horner (GBR), Alan Docking Racing. British System 3 Championship, Silverstone, England. 15 August 1995.
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Alongside his father, Garry Horner, Christian based the Arden group to compete within the championship. He raced in each the 1997 and 1998 System 3000 however scored only one level within the two years – ending twenty first in 1997 and thirty third the next 12 months.
Christian Horner – Arden possession
Arden was arrange by Christian Horner in January 1996. Based on Horner, he used borrowed cash, together with a mortgage from his father, to arrange the group, in addition to persuading P1 Motorsport founder Roly Cincini to turn out to be the group’s race engineer.
He additionally bought a second-hand trailer from Helmut Marko, who was head of the Pink Bull junior group in System 3000 and on the time was one in all Horner’s greatest rivals. He competed in 1997 and 1998, being joined within the latter by Kurt Mollekens, who at one stage led the championship.
In a pre-season check on the Circuit de Estoril in Portugal, Horner was behind Juan Pablo Montoya when he realised that he was “not able to replicating the extent of dedication” proven by the opposite driver. This helped him solidify his determination to step again from driving on the finish of the season and give attention to constructing Arden to be a profitable group, as its group principal.
After making the choice to retire, Horner then signed Viktor Maslov and Marc Goossens to compete for the group within the 1999 System 3000 season. Firstly of the 12 months, a 50% stake within the group was bought by Dave Richards’ Prodrive organisation on behalf of Lukoil – a Russian oil firm run by Maslov’s father – however Horner bought again these shares after only one season.
Goossens was changed for the 2000-2001 season by Darren Manning, who scored one pole and two podium finishes. The group additionally competed within the Italian System 3000 with Warren Hughes in 2000, the place they received three races and completed second within the championship.
In 2002, Arden secured the group championship with Tomas Enge and Bjorn Wirdheim, taking 5 victories between one another – 4 for Enge and one for Wirdheim, with Enge successful the drivers’ championship earlier than being demoted to 3rd place after failing a drug check.
Robert Doornbos, Arden Worldwide, Christian Horner, Arden F3000 Boss and Vitantonio Liuzzi, Arden Worldwide have fun
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Arden retained the championship in 2003 and once more in 2004, the place in addition they secured the drivers’ championship with Vitatonio Liuzzi, who was delivered to the group by his supervisor Helmut Marko, with sponsorship from Pink Bull.
Christian Horner stayed because the Arden group principal till 2005 when he then grew to become the group principal for Pink Bull Racing in System 1. Horner’s father Garry continues to handle Arden’s racing and industrial operations.
Christian Horner – Crew principal for Pink Bull Racing
Christina Horner grew to become the Pink Bull group principal in 2005, for its inaugural 12 months in System 1. The Austrian vitality drink firm bought the Jaguar F1 Crew in 2004 and Horner was then appointed simply eight weeks earlier than the beginning of the season in Australia. The group had been in a position to rating 34 factors with its drivers David Coulthard and Christian Klein, which was an enormous leap from Jaguar’s 9 factors within the earlier 12 months.
Horner additionally recruited Adrian Newey because the group’s chief technical officer in 2005 – a transfer which has helped the group obtain nice success during the last 19 years. Pink Bull took its first podium on the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix, which resulted in Horner leaping right into a swimming pool carrying only a Superman cape.
In 2007 Pink Bull competed with the RB3 – the primary automobile designed by Newey – nevertheless, the group continued to wrestle with reliability points, together with 14 retirements and only one podium. In 2008 the group completed seventh within the constructors’ championship earlier than ending second in 2009 with drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber ending second and fourth respectively.
Victory lastly got here for Pink Bull in 2010, after they received their first constructors’ championship and Sebastian Vettel additionally secured the drivers’ championship – making him the youngest world champion at 23 years and 133 days previous. The victories additionally made Horner the second-youngest group principal to win an F1 constructors’ championship at 36, simply behind Colin Chapman who took the title with Lotus in 1963 at 34 years previous.
Pink Bull Racing took each titles once more in 2011, 2012 and 2013, with Vettel additionally securing every of the drivers’ world championships alongside the group’s victories. The group didn’t see championship victory once more till 2021 when Max Verstappen received his maiden drivers’ championship throughout an intense battle with Lewis Hamilton within the closing race of the season.
Podium: Christian Horner, Crew Principal, Pink Bull Racing, Race winner Sergio Perez, Pink Bull Racing
Picture by: Erik Junius
In 2022 and 2023, Pink Bull secured each the drivers’ and constructors’ world championships, with their drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez taking a 1-2 place final 12 months.
Horner has additionally been awarded an OBE in 2013 and a CBE in 2024 for his companies to motorsport.
Who’s Christian Horner married to?
Christian Horner married Spice Ladies singer Geri Halliwell in 2015 and the pair share one son – Montague (7). Horner additionally has a daughter – Olivia (10) together with his ex-partner Beverly Allen who he was with for 14 years. He’s additionally the stepfather to Halliwell’s daughter Bluebell Madonna (17), from her earlier relationship with screenwriter Sacha Gervasi.
What’s Christian Horner’s web value?
Christian Horner’s web value is an estimated $50 million (£40m), together with his wage additionally reportedly above $10m (£8m) per 12 months as group principal of Pink Bull Racing. His estimated wage makes him the highest-paid F1 group principal.
