A timeline of Red Bull’s F1 highs and lows with fired team principal Christian Horner

Christian Horner entered Formula 1 as its youngest team principal in 2005 and developed Red Bull from a “party team” to a serial title winner.

Following the announcement by Red Bull on Wednesday that Horner had been fired after 20 years, here’s a look at his time in F1:

___

1997

An aspiring driver at the level below F1, Horner founds junior team Arden with his father. Horner gives up his driving career a year later but continues running Arden, whose strong results with other drivers create a buzz.

2005

Ford wants to get out of F1 after five underwhelming years running a team under its Jaguar brand. Red Bull drinks company co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz leads a takeover and rebranding for 2005 and appoints Horner. He becomes F1’s youngest team principal at 32.

2009

Red Bull sheds its reputation as a publicity-hungry “party team” by taking its first F1 race win with Sebastian Vettel at the Chinese Grand Prix. The team has won 123 more races since then.

2010

Vettel wins the first of four drivers’ championships in a row, getting the better of Ferrari and his own Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, in what becomes an increasingly bitter rivalry.

2016

Max Verstappen makes his debut for Red Bull after being promoted from its sister team Toro Rosso. The 18-year-old Dutch driver stuns F1 with victory in his first race for the team at the Spanish Grand Prix, becoming F1’s youngest winner.

2019

The first season of “Drive To Survive” airs on Netflix. It takes viewers behind the scenes of F1. Over the following years, it makes stars of executives like Horner and helps interest in F1 boom in the United States, in particular. Viewers get insights into his rivalry with Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, and home life with his wife, singer Geri Halliwell.

2021

Horner is a key figure in one of the most dramatic and controversial title fights in history as Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to the championship. A disputed decision on the final lap of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix deepens the feud between Horner and Wolff.

2023

A season of record-breaking dominance sees Red Bull cars win all but one race all year. It’s a third drivers’ title for Verstappen and the sixth and most recent constructors’ title for the team.

2024

Before the season begins, F1 is shaken by reports Horner is under investigation for alleged inappropriate conduct toward a team employee. He remains in his post as two investigations launched by Red Bull dismiss the claim. Verstappen wins his fourth drivers’ title, although Red Bull no longer has the fastest car by the end of the year.

2025

Verstappen’s future at Red Bull comes into question amid speculation he could leave for old rival Mercedes, while he struggles with an increasingly uncompetitive car and Red Bull tries to plan for a new era of F1 rules in 2026. Amid all this uncertainty, Horner is fired.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing