Christian Horner said it was “very humbling” to receive an honorary award from King Charles III on Wednesday, which came after a Formula 1 season that saw the Red Bull team principal cleared of accusations of inappropriate conduct by an employee.
Horner was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the king's traditional New Year's List for his services to motorsport. He received the award at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
It capped a year in which Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won a fourth straight Formula 1 title, but where the results on the track were sometimes overshadowed by the accusations against Horner by a team employee.
The 51-year-old Horner was cleared by an independent counsel of the initial complaint of inappropriate conduct in March, and Red Bull dismissed an appeal in August.
“Obviously a very proud moment to be awarded this CBE,” Horner told journalists outside the palace after the ceremony, standing alongside his wife, singer Geri Halliwell. “It's very humbling.”
Horner said he and the king had time for a quick chat about F1 as well.
“He was interested in how the season went, obviously followed some of the races,” Horner said. “So it was good to catch up.”
