Christian Horner: What is the possible route for the former Red Bull chief to return to F1, which is now possible? | F1 News

A year after his shock Red Bull sacking, Christian Horner is free to return to Formula 1, but what is the Brit’s possible route back to the pit wall?

Horner was relieved of his dual role as Red Bull team principal and chief executive following the British Grand Prix in July 2025, ending a hugely successful 20-year stint at the Milton Keynes squad.

The 52-year-old oversaw two periods of Red Bull dominance in F1, with Sebastian Vettel and the team winning four consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ championships from 2010-2013 and Max Verstappen winning four drivers’ championships from 2021-2024 and 2020-2020.

Horner received a huge payout, understood to be in the region of £75m, but in reality opted to take less money than was potentially available to agree to a short stint before allowing him to return to the sport with another team.

With that period now complete, Horner appears to be increasing his presence in the motorsport world as he looks for a new opportunity, appearing at Moto GP and Formula E events over the past few weeks.

Ahead of the F1 season resuming with the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, Sky Sports assesses the potential options that could be available to Horner.

Can Horner beat Mercedes in the Alpine partnership race?

Although Horner has only just been cleared to return to F1, he still managed to explore possible routes back into the paddock during his time away.

Its activity in this regard was confirmed in January when Alpine confirmed that an investment group including Horner expressed interest in buying the 24 percent stake in the group owned by US-based investment firm Otro Capital.

A significant ownership stake is likely to give Horner more power than Red Bull and therefore not leave him vulnerable in the way he was ousted.

However, a twist in the Alpine saga came in March when it was confirmed that Mercedes, led by Horner’s former pit-lane rival Toto Wolff, were also interested in acquiring a stake in Alpine.

Somewhat ironically, the most notable aid to Horner’s quest to acquire a stake in Alpine came from another former rival, McLaren chief executive Jack Brown.

The Americans are firmly against the idea of ​​A and B teams in F1 and want to avoid the prospect of Alpine becoming Mercedes’ junior squad. This is despite Mercedes insisting that any Alpine share purchase would only amount to a minority financial interest held by the business entity operating its own F1 team.

The irony of the situation is compounded by the fact that Brown is continuing a crusade he has been leading for the past few years against two Red Bull-owned teams – the Red Bull Racing team Horner was in charge of, and the Racing Bulls.

After speaking out against a potential Mercedes-Alpine deal in April, Brown went a step further last week as he penned a six-page letter to FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem outlining his concerns about the teams’ alliance compromising the integrity of the sport.

If Braun succeeds in persuading the sport’s governing body to stop Mercedes buying a stake in Alpine, Horner’s chances of a quick return with an established team will greatly increase.

BYD will provide 12th team option?

Another route back into the paddock for Horner appeared to materialize over the weekend as he held talks with Chinese carmaker BYD.

The Chinese brand is understood to be interested in becoming the 12th team on the F1 grid following the addition of Cadillac for the 2026 season.

BYD vice-president Stella Lee recently said the company held talks with F1 president Stefano Domenicali when the sport was in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix in March.

So it’s notable that Horner was spotted at a BYD event in Cannes over the weekend, where he was photographed with Li and also said to have met the company’s chief executive, Wang Chuanfu.

Setting up a new team to take over the already established – and midfield-leading – Alpine will be a completely different challenge.

While it’s unlikely to happen if Horner wants a quick comeback, Cadillac’s early 2026 struggles highlight the challenge of entering a brand new team in the sport.

But such a project could play to what Horner himself sees as his core strength. The immediate success of Red Bull Powertrain is another reminder of his ability to run a successful “start-up” operation, and at 52 he still has time to take on another long-term project not too dissimilar from his start at Red Bull.

Could the Ferrari link be resurrected?

It’s clear that Horner would favor a situation where he has equity and more power within a team structure, but what if that doesn’t materialize?

Horner could still be tempted back to F1 by a leading role in a standard team, but there are surely only a select few teams that would be interested in him.

Mercedes and McLaren appear to be non-starters for Horner, but there are other teams that could be interested in his services.

He has long been linked with Ferrari and the chance to end the Italian team’s title drought will no doubt appeal to Horner. But Fred Vasseur remains at the helm and there is no certainty that Horner will be the top candidate to replace him.

Aston Martin looked like a viable option for a while but a reunion of Horner with his former Red Bull colleague Adrian Newey seems unlikely, so it seems there will only be an opening if the legendary designer leaves the project.

There appear to be a few more realistic possibilities on the current grid, but any underperforming outfit would surely be tempted by a leader with Horner’s track record.

Horner’s appearances at Moto GP and Formula E events have led to speculation that he could be involved in another motorsport division, but there is no doubt that the Brit intends to consider F1 as unfinished business.

‘Guardiola’s F1 equivalent’ – but why can’t Horner move to another job?

Sky Sports News reporter Craig Slaters provides his analysis of Horner’s current situation:

I’ve talked to Horner informally over the past few months and it’s clear to me that while he’s ready to come back, he has no interest in going back to the pit wall just for the sake of it.

It has to be the right kind of project. That means he probably needs a stake-holding in a team that has the potential to win F1 again.

When will he return? There is an enthusiasm for his return among stakeholders and leadership figures in F1, but the situation for individual teams is complex.

Had Pep Guardiola remained in football’s managerial market, he would have moved on almost immediately to another top job. Horner is equivalent to F1, given his record, but there is less openness and then there are interpersonal politics to consider.

Let’s see how Alpine’s situation develops – a possible way for him to make a quick comeback and how Jack Brown’s recent interventions with ownership could affect how it plays out.

Besides, it’s still early in the year. If a team has a significant performance deficit or isn’t making the expected progress, will their ownership inevitably look to Horner?

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