7. Christian Horner

Christian Edward Johnston Horner OBE is a former British racing driver and the current Team Principal of the Red Bull Formula One team, a position he has held since 2005. He has won eleven world championships (five world constructors’ championships and six world drivers’ championships).

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Since Red Bull Racing was born at the tail end of 2004, one man has been charged with directing its efforts – Christian Horner.

Christian’s path to the top rung of the Formula One management ladder began behind the wheel as a talented young racer. After rising through the ranks to compete in Formula 3000 in the late 1990s, Christian eventually hung up his racing overalls and moved to management. At 25, he founded the Arden International Race Team and quickly built the squad into a formidable winning machine.

Three consecutive International Formula 3000 Team championships and Drivers’ titles in 2003 and 2004 drew the attention of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz to the young team owner. When the company decided to field its own F1 entry in 2005, it turned to Christian to run the operation.

A solid first season in F1 saw Christian guide the Team to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship. Still, the real success came at the end of the campaign when Christian secured the services of legendary designer Adrian Newey as Chief Technical Officer. Development was swift over the following two seasons, and by 2009 the Team was able to capitalise on significant rule changes within the sport. The Team took its first win, a 1-2 victory, at the Chinese Grand Prix in 2009, and the triumph sparked a winning streak that saw the Team collect six victories by the end of the season.

The advancement in performance for 2009 proved to be a stepping stone to more incredible things. Christian led Red Bull Racing to its first two titles in 2010. The Constructors’ Championship was won at the second-to-last race in Brazil, and the Drivers’ Championship was defeated at the end of the season in Abu Dhabi. The Team had momentum, and further double World Championships followed in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

READ MORE: How Horner and Newey led Red Bull Racing to F1 glory

Leaner times were on the horizon, and when Formula One introduced the current generation of V6 hybrid engines in 2014, Red Bull Racing’s dominance ended abruptly. However, the Team has continued to prosper, consistently delivering victories and adding trophies to the cabinet while developing a reputation under Christian’s leadership as a Team capable of extracting the maximum out of any opportunity.

In 2021 Red Bull Racing finished second in the F1 Constructors’ Championship with drivers Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen. Verstappen won his maiden F1 Drivers’ Championship in the season’s final race. In 2022 Red Bull Racing won the F1 Constructors’ Championship with drivers Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen. Verstappen also won the F1 Drivers’ Championship, with Pérez placing 3rd.

The Team has accumulated 92 victories and 234 other podium finishes. It has 81 pole positions and 84 fastest laps. And while Christian is still one of the youngest Team Principals in the F1 paddock, entering his 18th season at the helm of Oracle Red Bull Racing Honda, he is also one of the most experienced.