Christian Horner
Encyclopedia
Christian Horner is the team manager of the Red Bull Racing
Formula One
team, a position he has held since 2005. His motorsport career started as a race car driver
, before switching roles to become team principal of GP2 Series
team Arden Motorsport
in 1999.
, finishing that season as a race winner and the highest placed rookie. He then moved up to British Formula Three, making his 1994 debut with the Fortec team. He moved to the ADR team in 1995, and moved again in 1996 to the TOM'S
team. In 1996 he also raced in British Formula Two.
Horner moved up to Formula 3000 in 1997, founding the Arden team. He stayed in F3000 for 1998, joined at Arden by Kurt Mollekens
. However, he decided that running a team was more for him than driving for one because of his lack of budget and talent, and he retired from active racing at the end of the season.
for the 1999 season. Success in the sport proved hard to find, with the team not finding a win in any of its first three seasons, Darren Manning
not even being able to get one in his two seasons with the team.
A new driver line-up changed the situation for 2002, with Tomáš Enge
and Björn Wirdheim
brought in to replace Manning and Maslov. Enge won the title that year, but was demoted to third after a failed drug test handed the title to Sébastien Bourdais
.
Wirdheim stayed in 2003
, with Enge replaced by Townsend Bell
. Björn Wirdheim
won the title by a 35-point margin to second-placed Ricardo Sperafico
.
The final season of F3000, 2004
, was dominated by Arden's lead driver Vitantonio Liuzzi
; the support of Robert Doornbos
helped to secure both the drivers and constructors championship titles by a large margin. At this time Horner based his Arden International
Team at Prodrive
premises in Banbury, before relocating them to the former 22 Motorsport facility close by.
In 2005, the Red Bull Racing
team brought Horner to Formula One
, where he was the youngest of the team principals at the time. In 2006
, he jumped into a swimming pool wearing nothing but a Superman
cape to celebrate the team's first podium finish at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix
. The team finished a strong second in the 2009 constructors' championship with drivers Sebastian Vettel
and Mark Webber
finishing second and fourth respectively in the drivers' title race. In 2010, the team won their first constructors' championship with one race to spare, and Sebastian Vettel
won the drivers' championship at the final race of the season. In 2011, the team won their second constructors' championship with three races to spare, Sebastian Vettel
became the world's youngest double-champion.
in Leamington and then Warwick School
. He has two brothers, Jamie and Guy. He has an 'unofficial' fan club called 'The Christian Horner Fan Club', known collectively as The Hornettes.
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team, a position he has held since 2005. His motorsport career started as a race car driver
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
, before switching roles to become team principal of GP2 Series
GP2 Series
The GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1...
team Arden Motorsport
Arden International
Arden International is an GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing new talents to motorsport...
in 1999.
Driving career
Horner's career in motorsport started after winning a Formula Renault scholarship in 1991. He competed in the 1992 British Formula Renault Championship with Manor MotorsportManor Motorsport
Manor Motorsport is a British motor racing team that was formed in 1990 by former single-seater champion John Booth.Throughout its history the team primarily competed in Formula Renault, with past drivers including 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, 2008 F1 World Championship winner...
, finishing that season as a race winner and the highest placed rookie. He then moved up to British Formula Three, making his 1994 debut with the Fortec team. He moved to the ADR team in 1995, and moved again in 1996 to the TOM'S
TOM'S
is a factory supported racing team and tuner of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The name stands for Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport. Their head office is located in Tokyo, Japan. They are currently heavily involved with Super GT racing and Formula 3 racing...
team. In 1996 he also raced in British Formula Two.
Horner moved up to Formula 3000 in 1997, founding the Arden team. He stayed in F3000 for 1998, joined at Arden by Kurt Mollekens
Kurt Mollekens
Kurt Mollekens is a Belgian race car driver and team owner.Mollekens debuted as a driver in top-level karting during 1990, staying there until 1992 when he moved up to Formula Ford...
. However, he decided that running a team was more for him than driving for one because of his lack of budget and talent, and he retired from active racing at the end of the season.
Team management
At the age of 25, Horner decided to continue with the team in F3000 as the owner, signing Viktor Maslov and Marc GoossensMarc Goossens
Marc Goossens nicknamed The Goose is a Belgian racecar driver who drove in Formula 3000 from 1994 to 1996 and part-time from 1999 to 2001. In between he drove in endurance races and is a veteran of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. From 2002 to 2005 he then raced in FIA GT...
for the 1999 season. Success in the sport proved hard to find, with the team not finding a win in any of its first three seasons, Darren Manning
Darren Manning
Darren Manning is a motor racing driver, most recently racing in the IRL IndyCar Series for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.-Early career:...
not even being able to get one in his two seasons with the team.
A new driver line-up changed the situation for 2002, with Tomáš Enge
Tomáš Enge
Tomáš Enge is a motor racing driver from the Czech Republic, who has competed in many classes of motorsport, including three races in Formula One.-Career:...
and Björn Wirdheim
Björn Wirdheim
Björn Karl Michael Wirdheim is an auto racing driver. Wirdheim is the son of Örnulf Wirdheim, a Swedish racing driver. He began racing karts, competing in his first race, at the age of 10...
brought in to replace Manning and Maslov. Enge won the title that year, but was demoted to third after a failed drug test handed the title to Sébastien Bourdais
Sébastien Bourdais
Sébastien Olivier Bourdais is a French race car driver. He is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Champ Car World Series, having won four successive championships from 2004 to 2007....
.
Wirdheim stayed in 2003
2003 Formula 3000 season
The 2003 International Formula 3000 season was the 19th season of FIA Formula 3000 motor racing. It featured the 2003 FIA Formula 3000 International Championship with titles awarded for both Drivers and Teams...
, with Enge replaced by Townsend Bell
Townsend Bell
Townsend Bell is a motor racing driver. He is married to actress Heather Campbell.He won the last Indy Lights championship in 2001 and was given two starts in a Champ Car in a joint effort between Patrick Racing and Dale Coyne Racing as a test for a full-time seat in 2002. He earned Roberto...
. Björn Wirdheim
Björn Wirdheim
Björn Karl Michael Wirdheim is an auto racing driver. Wirdheim is the son of Örnulf Wirdheim, a Swedish racing driver. He began racing karts, competing in his first race, at the age of 10...
won the title by a 35-point margin to second-placed Ricardo Sperafico
Ricardo Sperafico
Ricardo Sperafico is a Brazilian racing driver.-Career:He resides in a family of racers, twin brother of Rodrigo, and with two cousins, Alexandre and the late Rafael. He began his career in Europe and won the Italian Formula 3000 series in 2000, before moving to International F3000 competition...
.
The final season of F3000, 2004
2004 Formula 3000 season
The 2004 International Formula 3000 season was the 20th season of FIA Formula 3000 motor racing. It featured the 2004 FIA Formula 3000 International Championship, which was contested over ten rounds from April 24 to September 11, 2004. Two titles were awarded, a Championship for Drivers and a...
, was dominated by Arden's lead driver Vitantonio Liuzzi
Vitantonio Liuzzi
Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi is an Italian race driver who is currently racing in Formula One for the HRT F1 Team. He has homes in Lugano, Switzerland and Pescara, Italy.-Karting:...
; the support of Robert Doornbos
Robert Doornbos
Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car...
helped to secure both the drivers and constructors championship titles by a large margin. At this time Horner based his Arden International
Arden International
Arden International is an GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing new talents to motorsport...
Team at Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
premises in Banbury, before relocating them to the former 22 Motorsport facility close by.
In 2005, the Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
team brought Horner to Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, where he was the youngest of the team principals at the time. In 2006
2006 Formula One season
The 2006 Formula One season was the 57th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship which began on March 12 and ended on October 22 after eighteen races. The Drivers' Championship was won by Fernando Alonso of Renault F1 for the second year in a...
, he jumped into a swimming pool wearing nothing but a Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
cape to celebrate the team's first podium finish at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix
2006 Monaco Grand Prix
The 2006 Monaco Grand Prix was the seventh race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship. It took place on the weekend of May 25–28th 2006 at the Circuit de Monaco. Prior to the race, Renault's Fernando Alonso had finished on the podium in all of the previous six Grands Prix, winning three of...
. The team finished a strong second in the 2009 constructors' championship with drivers Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....
and Mark Webber
Mark Webber
Mark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver.After some racing success in Australia, Webber moved to the United Kingdom in 1995 to further his motorsport career...
finishing second and fourth respectively in the drivers' title race. In 2010, the team won their first constructors' championship with one race to spare, and Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....
won the drivers' championship at the final race of the season. In 2011, the team won their second constructors' championship with three races to spare, Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....
became the world's youngest double-champion.
Personal life
Horner was educated at Arnold Lodge SchoolArnold Lodge School
Arnold Lodge School is a co-educational independent school in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, founded in 1864.The school has approximately 280 day pupils, ranging from kindergarten, aged three, to GCSE pupils aged sixteen...
in Leamington and then Warwick School
Warwick School
Warwick School is an independent school with boarding facilities for boys in Warwick, England, and is reputed to be the third-oldest surviving school in the country after King's School, Canterbury and St Peter's School, York; and the oldest boy's school in England...
. He has two brothers, Jamie and Guy. He has an 'unofficial' fan club called 'The Christian Horner Fan Club', known collectively as The Hornettes.
Complete International Formula 3000 results
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Arden International Arden International Arden International is an GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing new talents to motorsport... |
SIL Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side... 16 |
PAU DNQ |
HEL DNQ |
NÜR Nürburgring The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about... DNQ |
PER Autodromo di Pergusa The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna.... DNQ |
HOC Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix... DNQ |
A1R 16 |
SPA Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its... DNQ |
MUG Mugello Circuit Mugello Circuit is a race track in the Mugello region of Italy near Florence. Its length is . It has 15 turns and a long straight.Grand Prix motorcycle racing host an annual event here . Also, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters hold an annual event. The track is property of Scuderia Ferrari which... 17 |
JER 6 |
21st | 1 | ||
| 1998 | Arden Racing Arden International Arden International is an GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing new talents to motorsport... /KTR |
OSC Motorsport Arena Oschersleben The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben is long race track with a width of 11 – 13 meters and elevation changes of 23 metres. The circuit is located in Oschersleben, Börde , Northern Germany... Ret |
IMO Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.... 12 |
CAT Circuit de Catalunya The Circuit de Catalunya is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit.-History:... Ret |
SIL Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side... Ret |
MON Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in... 16 |
PAU DNQ |
A1R 17 |
HOC Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix... 18 |
HUN Hungaroring The Hungaroring is a racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone wanted a race in the USSR, but a Hungarian friend of his... Ret |
SPA Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its... DNQ |
PER Autodromo di Pergusa The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna.... 17 |
NÜR Nürburgring The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about... 17 |
33rd | 0 |