Horner's Red Bull BONUS revealed in mammoth salary unveiling

Horner’s Red Bull BONUS revealed in mammoth salary unveiling

Christian Horner, the longest-serving team principal in Formula 1, has solidified his position as the sport’s top-earning team leader after a stellar 2023 season with Red Bull Racing.

Under Horner’s leadership since 2005, Red Bull clinched an impressive 21 victories out of 22 races in 2023, primarily due to Max Verstappen’s 19 wins, which helped the Dutch driver secure his third consecutive drivers’ championship.

This extraordinary performance brought Red Bull its sixth constructors’ title, adding to Horner’s impressive career tally of six constructors’ and seven drivers’ titles.

The financial success of Red Bull’s 2023 season has directly benefited Horner, who received an 11% salary increase, taking his earnings from £8.04 million in 2022 to £8.92 million in 2023, according to The Times.

This salary boost includes a substantial bonus linked to Red Bull’s dominance on the track, which also lifted the team’s revenues by 16% to £446 million.

Red Bull’s shareholders received a £50 million dividend from this success, though Horner was not among the beneficiaries of the dividend payout.

While Horner enjoyed financial success in 2023, the 2024 season has brought new challenges. Earlier in the year, Horner faced an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior, which ultimately cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Additionally, he has had to address internal tensions within the team, including a dispute with Max Verstappen’s father, Jos.

Red Bull has also been grappling with a wave of employee departures.

Despite these issues, Verstappen remains the favorite to win his fourth consecutive drivers’ title, though the team currently sits third in the constructors’ standings behind McLaren and Ferrari.

In addition to Horner, other prominent F1 figures also saw substantial earnings in 2023.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko’s income doubled to £7 million after securing a new three-year deal with the team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who reportedly earns a £6 million salary, received a sizable dividend from his one-third ownership of the Mercedes team, which brought his total earnings to £25 million in 2023. Wolff’s personal net worth is now estimated to exceed £1 billion, according to Forbes.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown also enjoyed a notable increase in income, with his earnings rising from £9 million in 2022 to £26.4 million in 2023, a sum likely boosted by a one-time bonus.

The earnings reveal just how competitive and financially rewarding Formula 1 has become, not only for drivers but also for the leaders guiding the sport’s top teams.