Christian Horner filmed amid boos at O2 as wife Geri Halliwell watches and Horner denies Verstappen role in Red Bull exit
christian horner appears in Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive footage that captures his wife Geri Halliwell watching him being booed at the F1 72 launch at the O2, and he again tells the cameras that Max Verstappen and his camp were not responsible for his exit from Red Bull.
Unseen reaction: Geri Halliwell at the O2
Footage in the documentary shows Halliwell, 53, watching Horner take the stage at the F1 72 launch event at the O2 in February last year. Fans booed Horner vigorously as he began his speech; Halliwell is seen smiling but apparently concerned. After the speech Horner is filmed awkwardly looking for directions to his seat in the crowd. Horner told the documentary: "It's a pleasure to be at the O2, anyway. I hope everyone is having a good night. " He later repeated that teams have to accept the role of the "pantomime villain" and that Formula One is judged on the result sheets at the end of the day.
Christian Horner on Verstappen and his Red Bull exit
Horner, 52, tells Netflix that he does not believe Max Verstappen or the Verstappen camp were responsible for his dismissal from Red Bull in 2025. "[Max Verstappen's] father has never been my biggest fan, " Horner says in the documentary. "He's been outspoken about me, but I don't believe that the Verstappens were responsible in any way. " The documentary is released on Friday.
How Horner left Red Bull and his record at the team
Horner joined Red Bull in 2005 and led the team to eight drivers' championships and six constructors' championship titles. Max Verstappen won four Formula 1 titles under Horner's leadership. The 52-year-old left his roles as team principal and chief executive last summer amid months of team decline and internal disputes; he departed with a £52m payout and said he felt a "real sense of loss. " He blamed Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff and Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko for his exit, and said: "It was all rather sudden. I didn't really get the chance to say a proper goodbye. " He added: "I think this was a decision that was made by Oliver Mintzlaff with Helmut advising from the side-line. " Horner said changes in the business after the founder's death left him "maybe too much control. "
Investigation, denials and the coaching by KCs and lawyers
Horner was accused by a female member of staff of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour after a leaked cache of suggestive messages in February 2024 stunned the paddock. The exact nature of the complaints remains unknown. He was questioned by a KC for a full day at a secret location last year while the barrister gathered evidence that was written up in 150 pages for the Red Bull board's determination. The workplace process ended with the grievance dismissed: Red Bull GmbH in Salzburg said, "The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed. The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial. The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and, therefore, we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned. Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards. " Horner always denied the accusations. He was twice cleared of the claims—first after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer and then by another lawyer who dismissed the complainant's appeal.
Booing at the F1 72 launch: who was on stage and who reacted
As Horner was booed at the event, drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc watched on, as did Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson. Backstage, Hamilton was filmed reacting with an expletive, and Lawson said, "I think we are going to get a lot of boos, " to which Verstappen replied, "I don't give a f***. " Horner told the cameras: "When you become a serial winner the crowd and the audience, they don't wanna see that. In Formula One, there's this element of pantomime, we're now like the Kardashians on wheels. But I'm way past even caring what other people think. "
The previously unseen reaction from Halliwell and Horner's comments appear in footage highlighted with a timestamp and author metadata: 18: 49 GMT 27 Feb 2026, updated 19: 59 GMT 27 Feb 2026, by Lewis Browning, sports reporter.
Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive releases the episode on Friday, which includes Horner's on-camera statements that he did not believe Verstappen or his camp were behind his exit and the O2 launch scenes showing the boos and the reactions in the paddock.
