CHRISTIAN HORNER banked a whopping £7,046,000 salary last year — keeping him on track as Formula One’s best-paid team boss.
Horner’s pay increased by £46,000 — almost £4,000 a month — according to fresh accounts from Red Bull.
The 51-year-old’s pay rise came on top of his salary doubling the previous year and meant his deal was worth £590,000 a month.
However, the latest figure does NOT include bonuses for helping Max Verstappen win the world drivers’ championship.
This is thought to have pushed Horner’s earnings up towards £10million a year.
The former F1 boss has been handed a whopping £80million payout to leave Red Bull Racing — which he will receive over the next five years.
And the incredible deal means he will be free to return to F1 with a rival team as early as 2026.
Despite his massive payout, he is set to lose almost half of it to the taxman.
Rumours in the paddock suggest Horner wants “equity in a team” which would give him the power to make key decisions more than that of a simple team principal.
Briatore could act as an investor to back Horner’s bid, alongside ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone who was removed from F1 CEO in 2017 after Liberty Media took over.
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Briatore has denied any chance of it happening any time soon.
His friendship with Alpine chief Flavio Briatore has sparked links to the French constructor.
Meanwhile, before heading back to the track, he has opted to splash some of his new fortune.
He has taken Spice Girls wife Geri Halliwell away on a romantic honeymoon road trip around Scotland.
The couple have been married for a decade but have been postponing their honeymoon.