Horner's Red Bull exit payout: accounts show £33.5m or £67m depending on the company filing
Accounts filed at Companies House show Christian Horner received "compensation for loss of office" after leaving Red Bull. The Daily Mail reports £33.5m from Red Bull Racing's accounts; the Daily Mirror reports £66.988m from Red Bull Technology Limited's.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Accounts filed at Companies House this week disclose that Christian Horner, 52, received a large payment on leaving his role as head of Red Bull's Formula One team. Daily MailR “Documents filed this week at Companies House disclose that Horner, 52, who quit amid a texting scandal with a teammate, banked £33.5million.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Daily MirrorL “Accounts submitted to Companies House show a payment of £66,988,000 for “compensation for loss of office.”” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Right · 1The Daily Mail says Red Bull Racing's 2025 accounts report £33.5m as 'compensation for loss of office'. It puts his total takings, including £4.4m in salary paid before his resignation, at £38m, or about £729,000 a week. Daily MailR “The payment is disclosed in the small print of Red Bull Racing's latest accounts for 2025. It is reported as 'compensation for loss of office'.”“His total takings, including the £4.4million in salary paid ahead of his resignation, come in at £38million, the equivalent of £729,000 per week.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Left · 1The Daily Mirror gives a different figure. It says Red Bull Technology Limited's 2025 financial report shows £66,988,000 in compensation for loss of office, plus £9.029m in company contributions to money purchase pension schemes. On its count the total cost to Red Bull topped £76m. Daily MirrorL “Red Bull Technology Limited’s 2025 financial report reveals his staggering severance pay.”“There is a further £9.029m for “company contributions to money purchase pension schemes”, meaning the total cost to Red Bull topped £76m.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Mixed · 2The two outlets cite accounts of different Red Bull companies, and neither article explains the gap between £33.5m and about £67m. The articles do not say whether the two payments are separate or one figure is a part or share of the other. Daily MailR “The payment is disclosed in the small print of Red Bull Racing's latest accounts for 2025.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Daily MirrorL “Red Bull Technology Limited’s 2025 financial report reveals his staggering severance pay.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Mixed · 2Horner, who had led the team since its inception in 2005, left after allegations of inappropriate or controlling behaviour by a female colleague. He denied them, and two internal investigations dismissed them. The Mirror says he was sacked in July 2025 and that the accounts show he officially resigned as CEO on August 12, 2025. The Mail says he quit. Daily MirrorL “Red Bull's accounts show that Horner officially resigned as CEO on August 12, 2025.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Daily MailR “He has always denied the claims and was twice cleared of any impropriety in internal investigations at Red Bull” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Left · 1The Mirror says Horner had a contract until 2030 and that the 46-page accounts name him only once. They refer to a 'transition in senior management' and to restructuring costs, while turnover rose 6.5 per cent despite a third-place finish in the Constructors' Championship. Laurent Mekies, promoted from Racing Bulls, replaced him. Daily MirrorL “The 52-year-old had been under contract with Red Bull until 2030”“the company's turnover actually increased by 6.5 per cent during the period, despite finishing third in the Constructors' Championship.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Mixed · 2Horner has stayed outside F1 since leaving. The Mirror says he has publicly said he wants to join Ferrari and has been linked with Alpine and Aston Martin. The Mail notes that his wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has stood by him. It also reports that the woman involved in the dispute left her latest motor-racing role, which it says was because her new boss lost confidence in her 'for a lack of discretion'. Daily MirrorL “He has publicly stated a desire to join Ferrari, prompting the Italian team to issue a statement in support of principal Fred Vasseur.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Daily MailR “Halliwell, 54, has publicly stood by Horner throughout the turmoil”“It is understood her latest position was terminated after her new boss lost confidence in her 'for a lack of discretion'.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- A news report on the size of the severance, framed as a 'staggering' payout to an 'axed' chief. It gives detail from the accounts and a career recap.
- Emphasis
- The £66.988m figure, the pension contributions, the total cost above £76m, Horner's possible next jobs and Red Bull's praise for him at his departure.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not explain why its figure is double the Mail's, or mention the other company's accounts.
- Charged language
- “staggering”“Axed”
- For example
-
“Axed Red Bull chief Christian Horner given staggering £67m pay-out after sacking” — Daily Mirror
“Red Bull Technology Limited’s 2025 financial report reveals his staggering severance pay.” — Daily Mirror
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- A gossip-column item in Richard Eden's Eden Confidential column. It links the payout to Geri Halliwell's husband and to the texting scandal, and sits among unrelated celebrity items.
- Emphasis
- The £33.5m figure, a weekly-pay equivalent of £729,000, Halliwell's support for him, and the later departure of the woman who made the complaint.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Red Bull Technology Limited accounts or a larger £67m figure, or the pension contributions.
- Charged language
- “astonishing payout”“staggering detail”“bumper payout”“texting scandal”
- For example
-
“It's been revealed that the husband of former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell was handed an astonishing payout by Red Bull Racing.” — Daily Mail
“Just weeks after the woman who accused him of coercive behaviour was mysteriously released from her latest role in motor racing” — Daily Mail
What every side reports
- Accounts filed at Companies House show Horner received 'compensation for loss of office' from a Red Bull company.
- Horner is 52 and married to Geri Halliwell.
- Horner denied the allegations against him and was twice cleared in internal investigations.
- The 2025 accounts are the source of the payment figures.
Where accounts differ
-
Size of the payout
- Left
- The Mirror reports £66.988m compensation from Red Bull Technology Limited's accounts, plus £9.029m in pension contributions, over £76m in total.
- Right
- The Mail reports £33.5m from Red Bull Racing's accounts, about £38m in total with salary.
-
How Horner left
- Left
- The Mirror says he was sacked in July 2025, though the accounts show he officially resigned as CEO on August 12, 2025.
- Right
- The Mail says he 'quit' amid a texting scandal and later says he 'resigned'.
Christian Horner person
Horner has denied the allegations and was cleared twice. On leaving he said he did so with a 'heavy heart' and 'immense pride'. No comment on the payout is reported.
“Horner said he left with a "heavy heart"” — Daily Mirror
“He has always denied the claims” — Daily Mail
Red Bull Racing organisation
Red Bull's accounts refer only to a 'transition in senior management'. At his departure Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff thanked Horner for his 'exceptional work over the last 20 years'. No comment on the payout is reported.
“"Off track, the period saw a transition in senior management, with the departure of the long-serving CEO and the appointment of a successor to sustain operational consistency and stability,"” — Daily Mirror
“"We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,"” — Daily Mirror
Left1 article
-
Axed Red Bull chief Christian Horner given staggering £67m pay-out after sacking
Critical A news story emphasising the 'staggering' size of the sacked chief's severance, with figures from the accounts and background.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Mixed A gossip-column item that frames the payout through Geri Halliwell and the texting scandal, with an incredulous tone about the sum.
- 8 Oct 00:02 First Daily MailR Red Bull pays Geri Halliwell's husband Christian Horner £33.5million in compensation: EDEN CONFIDENTIAL
- 8 Oct 11:53 +11h 51m Daily MirrorL Axed Red Bull chief Christian Horner given staggering £67m pay-out after sacking
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.