Christian Horner is set to leave Red Bull after being sacked as their F1 team principal and replaced by Laurent Mekies, so where his future lies is now one topic of debate.
Horner wasn’t even told why he was being let go from his role as both team principal and CEO, with Red Bull promoting Mekies from Racing Bulls to take over. Despite the change, Horner technically remains under contract until 2030.
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Horner is negotiating a severance package that could be worth around £50 million due to the five-and-a-half years left on what’s believed to be the most lucrative deal among current team principals. The 51-year-old already has interest for a return to the paddock.
What Christian Horner could do after leaving Red Bull
The 51-year-old was reportedly approached by Andretti in February about taking over their new F1 operation, which could launch as early as 2026. While there’s no indication yet that he’ll head down that path just yet, it’s clear there will be no shortage of offers.
A look back at Christian Horner’s time in charge of Red Bull
During his time at Red Bull, Horner led the team through two dominant eras. The first came between 2010 and 2013 when Sebastian Vettel won four straight titles. After a period where Mercedes dominated, Verstappen then brought another four consecutive titles back to Milton Keynes starting in 2021.
He also played a key role in building one of F1’s strongest technical teams alongside Adrian Newey and Pierre Waché. Even though he’ll always have ties to how it ended, there’s no denying the impact he had on building Red Bull into one of racing’s top teams.
Christian Horner’s Ferrari link downplayed after Red Bull exit
Horner could also end up at Cadillac, with the General Motors team set to join the grid in 2026. Ferrari have also been linked, especially with Fred Vasseur’s contract running out after next season, but reports from Automoto.it say that move isn’t realistic.
Instead, Alpine is emerging as a more likely option for Horner. While his Red Bull gardening leave would likely rule him out of any immediate role at Maranello, Alpine may still be in the mix.
Alpine have just brought in Steve Nielsen as their new managing director to oversee day-to-day operations at Enstone. But Briatore, who serves as an executive adviser for Renault Group, has a close relationship with Horner and could potentially open the door for him.
Lewis Hamilton will be pleased if Christian Horner doesn’t take over from Fred Vasseur at Ferrari
With Red Bull having parted ways with the Briton, it’s no surprise that Horner is being talked about as a potential replacement for Vasseur at Ferrari. He’s long been a favourite of CEO John Elkann, and even held discussions with the team before they eventually appointed Vasseur.
Reports suggesting that Horner is unlikely to replace Vasseur are likely to please Hamilton. While Elkann remains an admirer, there have been hints that Hamilton might consider his future at Ferrari if Horner were brought in.
Hamilton hasn’t had the start to life at Ferrari that he would have hoped for, but he still fully backs Vasseur. The Frenchman played a significant role in his move to the team and was also key in guiding him to the 2006 GP2 Series title.
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