Christian Horner makes Geri Halliwell decision after receiving huge payout from Red Bull

A statement confirmed that Horner, who oversaw plenty of success with the team during his time in the paddock, had been replaced by Laurent Mekies.

Earlier on Monday, it emerged that Red Bull had reached a settlement with Horner after weeks of what have been described as 'tense' negotiations behind the scenes.

The Briton walks away with a multi-million-pound payout, while he's also free to return to the sport he loves so much as early as next season.

Now, according to the Daily Mail, Horner plans on jetting off to Scotland with wife Geri for what the couple are calling their 'honeymoon', a decade after the pair tied the knot in Woburn, Bedfordshire.

Horner, according to the report, had been prevented from enjoying some time off due to his gruelling work at Red Bull.

But with the 51-year-old now unemployed, the couple have decided to jet off to Scotland with the pair primed to visit the Isle of Skye for the first time.

JUST IN: Christian Horner gets huge multi-million pound payout with former Red Bull supremo free to return to F1

Horner had been contracted with Red Bull until 2023 prior to his departure, which sent shockwaves around the Formula One world.

The publication says he's now pocketed around £80million. That number would have been higher if he'd been content to sit around and twiddle his thumbs but that, typically, isn't in his character.

Horner and Geri found themselves at the centre of controversy last year when it emerged a female Red Bull employee had made allegations of inappropriate behaviour about the team principal.

Yet Horner always denied any wrongdoing and was twice cleared.

**SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY GB NEWS SPORTS NEWSLETTER HERE**

The Briton is said to remain in close contact with F1 figures and there's a sense that he'll return to the sport sooner, rather than later, now he's received his payout.

It's claimed he would 'likely want equity in a team', a position that would grant him full power rather than being at the mercy of others.

Haas are reportedly one team he could move to. So too are Alpine, with close friend Flavio Briatore already there.

A source is quoted as saying: "He has not got head space at the moment to think directly about his next move.

"He wants to come back to the F1 paddock, but he wants to assess how best to achieve that. He will do.

"He is a workaholic, and so sitting about doing nothing is not what he would choose. Indeed, he didn’t choose it. It came to him out of a blue sky."

Many were surprised by Horner's Red Bull exit.

In the short time since, however, things have improved for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

LATEST SPORTS NEWS:

• Lewis Hamilton vows 'it won't happen again' after controversy at Azerbaijan Grand Prix
• Keely Hodgkinson makes honest admission after settling for bronze at World Athletics Championships
• Phil Taylor reveals heartbreaking suffering of Ricky Hatton's dad after tragic death of boxing icon

Max Verstappen has recently won races at Monza and Azerbaijan, giving him hope that he could yet defend his F1 title once again.

The F1 season will resume in two weeks' time in Singapore.