Why Is Christian Horner Leaving Red Bull? Everything You Need To Know About The 'Sexting Scandal'

An unexpected announcement has rocked the world of Formula 1 as Christian Horner's long tenure at the helm of Red Bull Racing has come to an end.

For two decades, Horner guided the team to unparalleled success, but his departure follows a period of intense scrutiny.

Horner's operational duties as the head of Red Bull have come to a close, a significant development that marks the end of his two-decade leadership tenure, the longest for a Formula 1 team principal.

Horner's role is now filled by Laurent Mekies, who assumes the CEO position at Red Bull Racing. Additionally, Alan Permane, currently the Racing Director, will be promoted to Team Principal at Racing Bulls.

The End of an Era

His departure comes approximately a year after the highly publicised 'sexting scandal' involving alleged communications with a female employee.

Red Bull officially confirmed the development in a statement, which read: 'Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today, Wednesday 9 July 2025, and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing.'

Horner's wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, publicly supported her husband after the serious accusations which surfaced within the Formula One community last year. Throughout the entire process, Horner has consistently maintained his denial of the claims.

Unpacking the Allegations

In February 2024, the Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf published a report detailing allegations against Horner. The specific accusations were not publicly disclosed. Horner, however, consistently denied them, stating to CNN, 'I obviously deny fully the allegations that have been made against me.'

Screenshots of what were purportedly WhatsApp messages between Horner and a Red Bull employee were anonymously disseminated just a day after an independent, three-week investigation concluded, clearing the 51-year-old of all allegations.

Horner faced allegations of coercive behaviour from a colleague, which led to two separate internal investigations that ultimately cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Amidst the unfolding controversy, his wife, Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, reportedly urged him to resolve the situation entirely – a task he managed to achieve for 16 months.

The collection of alleged texts and images was then anonymously distributed to nearly 200 individuals across the sport, including key figures like Liberty Media owners, various team principals, and media representatives.

Horner was subsequently cleared for a second time after the female employee challenged the investigation's initial findings, which were ultimately upheld. It is understood that an independent lawyer interviewed Horner for nearly nine hours during this process.

The latest season of Netflix's highly successful Drive to Survive series captured Horner's immediate response to the stunning news that the texts had been leaked.

The Aftermath and Red Bull's Future

On the track, Horner's defiant response to the scandal saw him help Verstappen secure a fourth consecutive world championship. However, Red Bull narrowly missed out on the constructors' title, which went to rivals McLaren.

This development appeared to signal the start of Red Bull's sporting dominance coming to an end, with McLaren currently leading them by 288 points in the 2025 constructors' standings. Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, expressed gratitude to Christian Horner for his outstanding contributions over the past two decades.

Horner has led the team since its beginning in 2005, guiding them through two distinct periods of world championship wins with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Under his leadership, they secured eight drivers' championships and six constructors' championships.