Christian Horner Calls Red Bull Exit Brutal 15 Months After Sacking

Q: After a bitter power struggle, will Horner return to Formula One as an owner to rival the very empire he built?

Probably, but not imminently—and if he does, it is more likely to be as an investor-operator than as a conventional team boss. Horner has been explicit that any return to Formula One would need to be on his terms. After 20 years at Red Bull and a bitter removal he says was tied to a post-Mateschitz power shift, he has little appetite to be “a hired hand” again. He has said ownership, or at least equity and broad control, is his preferred route back. Ferrari is the one clear exception he has described as “the dream,” but Ferrari has publicly backed Fred Vasseur and there is no firm sign of an opening. The practical obstacle is that buying into an F1 team is difficult. Speculation around Alpine, Aston Martin, Cadillac/TWG and even a future 12th-team project shows there is interest, but no deal has materialised. Reports suggest an Alpine stake purchase has stalled, Cadillac is not for sale, and Aston Martin would raise governance issues given Adrian Newey’s role and Horner’s insistence on authority or shareholding. What strengthens the case for a return is that Horner remains motivated by F1, financially able to wait after a very large Red Bull payoff, and still openly eager for “another dance,” including reviving his rivalry with Toto Wolff. What weakens it is the scarcity of suitable openings and his own selectiveness. So yes, a return as an owner-rival to Red Bull is plausible. But the evidence points to a medium-term possibility, not an imminent comeback.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 12

15 months after Red Bull fired him in July 2025, Christian Horner said the exit was "particularly brutal and sad," adding he still was not given a clear reason beyond performance concerns.
The 52-year-old linked the decision to leadership changes after founder Dietrich Mateschitz's 2022 death and a view that too much control sat with him, while saying the 2024 misconduct allegations were no longer the focus.
Horner said the timing deepened the blow because he was supporting his 11-year-old daughter after her mother's death, and he described panic attacks and a loss of identity after leaving Formula One.
He also voiced pride that Red Bull's in-house engine project—started under him in 2021—has now won twice with Max Verstappen, even as he said the team has "lost its mojo."
Looking ahead, Horner said he may never return to F1, but would consider only a role with ownership attached; he cited 124 wins, 14 championships and 287 podiums from 405 races at Red Bull.