Christian Horner’s stint in gardening leave following his dismissal from Red Bull is nearly over, and Audi have reportedly lined him up as their preferred candidate to replace Jonathan Wheatley.
Red Bull parted ways with Horner last July after a 20-year tenure. The decision was made amidst ongoing struggles both on and off the track, including a longstanding power battle with Helmut Marko. Although his contract was set to run until 2030, the split was finalised just a couple of months later.
To shorten his time away from the sport, Horner agreed to take a smaller severance package when leaving Red Bull. That period ends this April, opening the door for new opportunities. Audi are now expected to make their move following Wheatley’s resignation in March.
Wheatley’s departure came shortly after he was linked with Aston Martin, leaving Audi in need of someone who could free up Adrian Newey to concentrate fully on car development. Wheatley had only been in the role since last April, having also come from Red Bull during Horner’s time there.
Mercedes’ interest in Otro Capital’s Alpine shares could sway Horner to Audi
A potential switch is now in play that could see Horner take over at Audi, with Wheatley expected to join Newey at Aston Martin. Audi’s attention has turned to Horner as they look for a new team principal, and he remains without a confirmed return path to Formula 1.
That report comes from Formula Technica, who say the team’s top brass believe he can stabilise the team. They feel an experienced leader is needed to steer them back on track, and that Horner would be able to deliver that long-term vision and stability.
Audi aren’t worried about any overlap between Horner and F1 project lead Mattia Binotto either. Binotto wants to focus more on racing than politics. The main challenge for Audi would be Horner’s desire to join a team where he also holds an ownership stake.
Alpine have confirmed that Horner has spoken with Otro Capital about buying its 24% stake in the Enstone-based team as part of a consortium. But Mercedes under Toto Wolff are also interested in buying Otro’s shares in Alpine, which is believed to have caught Horner’s attention.
Horner has been looking for backers while away from the sport, hoping to secure partial ownership of a team before returning. He never had an equity stake during his time at Red Bull, whereas Toto Wolff owns 28% of Mercedes’ F1 operation.
Audi have already sold some shares in the German brand’s F1 team, having sold a 30% stake to the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) back in November 2024. It remains unclear how much further they’d be willing to dilute their control just to get him on board.
On top of that, Lawrence Stroll made Adrian Newey a five per cent shareholder at Aston Martin as part of his recruitment package. So if Audi want him badly enough, they’ll likely need to put something similar forward.
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