Will Christian Horner return to F1? former Red Bull team principal in ‘talks’ with rival team

According to reports, a rival team has initiated talks to have Christian Horner return to F1 in a senior capacity as speculations swirl following his shock Red Bull departure.

Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle claims the 51-year old is strongly tipped to make his F1 comeback not as an employee or mere executive, but in a transformative team ownership role—a development that would redefine leadership in the world’s most prestigious motorsport.

Christian Horner’s name remains synonymous with the modern era of Formula 1—a reputation constructed during his remarkable two-decade tenure at Red Bull Racing, crowned by six Constructors’ and eight Drivers’ Championships.

Under his guidance, Red Bull transformed from an outlier, inheriting the failed Jaguar Racing project in 2005, into a dominant force that won races across successive regulatory eras.

Many within the paddock credit Horner with recruiting and moulding the team’s core talent such as Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen whose names are now etched into the annals of F1 history.

The reasons for his abrupt Red Bull departure were layered. The team faced significant internal discord after losing high-profile personnel—including Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, leading to a downturn in results after their historic 2023 championship run.

Persistent rumors of discord regarding the focus on Max Verstappen and related driver selection issues, as documented by Martin Brundle contributed to an environment that may have precipitated Horner’s own desire for greater control—ultimately a controlling stake in a Formula 1 team.

“This is the crux of it, I think the mistake they’ve all made at Red Bull is allowing it to become a one-driver team,” Brundle told Sky Sports F1.

“The tail’s wagged the dog there for quite a long time. They’ve had some what appears to be dreadful driver decisions that had some common sense upfront, when they put a driver in who was going well somewhere else.”

Allegations of inappropriate behaviour in early 2024 which Horner denied and which were later dismissed, only amplified media scrutiny and organizational stress, accelerating his Red Bull departure.

“All of that has played out and then Christian wanting to keep hold of the overall control of the direction in every aspect,” Brundle added.

“I can understand how a lot of the team members will feel that Christian hired them. Christian’s management hired and bought them into a team that’s relentlessly won for a number of years.

“Nothing’s forever. I don’t agree with everything Christian said and done nor him me. We have completely opposite jobs in this paddock. We’ve given him a hard time from time to time.

“We’ve lost a pantomime villain. That’s bad news for F1 because the other villains like Zak and Toto have got nobody to have a go at now. Christian’s a friend of mine and I don’t do fair weather friendships.

“I feel sorry for him. I feel bad for him. I think he will remerge somewhere else in a part ownership role or ownership role.”

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Could Christian Horner return to F1 with a rival team?

The former Red Bull team principal has been linked with a move to the Alpine F1 Team especially given his close friendship with the team’s executive advisor Flavio Briatore.

Dutch commentator Nelson Valkenburg revealed what he had heard about Horner’s future: “I just have a feeling he’s going to end up at Alpine. I’ve seen him in talks with both De Meo, who’s out, I know and Briatore for hours and hours.

“What he wants most is to be a team owner. I feel he would love to own a team, and that team is partly up for sale.”

The French squad, operated by Renault but branded as Alpine since 2021, presents an appealing platform for any ambitious team boss eyeing a path into ownership.

While recent years have seen Alpine struggle to convert investment into on-track competitiveness, they retain valuable facilities, infrastructure, and a history that still resonates with fans and investors.

Crucially, Renault is reportedly open to divesting a substantial minority stake—up to 20% which translates into a buy-in exceeding £298 million.

While it is unlikely that Horner could raise the amount independently, speculations are rife that he could assemble a syndicate of investors potentially including former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

However, Horner’s path to ownership is filled with legal obstacles. In the immediate aftermath of his termination, the Brit is contractually bound by a gardening leave clause until the conclusion of 2025, designed to prevent the transfer of proprietary knowledge and staff to rival teams.

This stipulation would delay his direct involvement as either principal or owner until at least January 2026, although it would not preclude investment discussions or deal structuring in the interim.

The Alpine F1 Team is currently reviewing its senior management and future participation in F1 and Horner’s availability could set the stage for a high-profile acquisition bid.

READ MORE: Helmut Marko reveals reason behind Christian Horner sacking and who made the decision