Christian Horner accuser 'gets £3m payoff' after leaving Red Bull for another F1 team

The former Red Bull employee who accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour is said to have been given a significant payout – and left the team. Mirror Sport understands she has already begun work at another outfit in Formula 1.

The allegation against Horner surfaced in early 2024 and rocked the F1 paddock, overshadowing even Red Bull's lightning start to the season on track. The Austria-based parent company of the racing team hired two external KCs to investigate the claim, both of whom cleared Horner of wrongdoing.

His accuser, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was suspended on full pay and has now left the team, having taken up a role with another F1 outfit. And, according to the Daily Mail, she has dropped her complaints once and for all in return for a fee of £3million. Red Bull GmbH was approached for comment.

Horner is himself no longer working for Red Bull, having been removed from his roles as team principal and chief executive in July. No reason was given publicly for his dismissal, though the team's drop in form around that period and his strained relationship with Red Bull's Austrian chiefs were believed to be factors.

He remained on the payroll until an agreement could be struck over the terms of his exit, as his contract was to run until 2030. He is believed to have received a compensation fee of around £80m and must serve a period of gardening leave which allows him to return to F1 with another team during the 2026 season.

And Horner has wasted little time in setting his comeback plans into motion. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed at the Singapore Grand Prix that the 51-year-old had been in touch for "exploratory talks", while Aston Martin is another potential destination.

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Though team principal Andy Cowell appeared to rule out any chance of that happening next year as he said: "It looks as though Christian is ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment. I can clearly say there are no plans for the involvement of Christian in an operational or investment role in the future."

Horner has been replaced in both his previous roles at Red Bull by Laurent Mekies. The Frenchman was promoted from sister squad Racing Bulls, where he served as team principal.

The team has found form again since the summer break with Max Verstappen finishing in the top two at all four of the races held. That run included back-to-back victories at the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix, which propelled him back into outside contention for the drivers' title and his team into a strong position to challenge for second place in the constructors' championship.

McLaren have already confirmed the crown but things are very tight in the fight to finish as runners-up. Mercedes currently occupy that spot and are 27 points ahead of Ferrari after George Russell won in Singapore on Sunday. Red Bull are only eight points further back.