Ignominious exit but Horner gave this ‘fun’ Fl team wings

In the spring of 2005, a freckle-faced Christian Horner, only 31 years of age, had stepped onto the factory floor of a Formula 1 team based in Milton Keynes with a huge responsibility on his young shoulders: to transform an unsuccessful Jaguar Racing into a headline-making Red Bull Racing.

- Sandip Sikdar

Twenty years and some grey hair later, Horner stepped on to the same floor on Wednesday morning to deliver his farewell speech after the Salzburg-based Red Bull board decided to remove the longest serving Fl team principal.

In between, Horner transformed a team bought primarily to market an energy drink into one of Fls most successful with eight drivers’ championships, six constructors titles, 124 wins, 287 podiums and 107 pole positions.

Horner was given the reins of the team that had its origins in Stewart GP which lasted only three years (1997-99) before being bought by Jaguar. Despite five years (2000-2004) as a legendary British manufacturer, the team never finished above seventh in the constructors’ standings when Red Bull decided to take over the struggling outfit.