Red Bull parted ways with team principal Christian Horner last week, ending his two-decade tenure. The move has sparked plenty of questions about what comes next for both sides.
Just days after leaving Red Bull, Horner’s name is already being linked with several teams across the paddock, including Ferrari and Alpine.
Even though Ferrari have shown interest in him before, it doesn’t look like he’ll be replacing Fred Vasseur anytime soon. Instead, there are reports that Flavio Briatore is looking to bring Horner into Alpine as a part-owner alongside Bernie Ecclestone.
Meanwhile, Red Bull are dealing with their own issues as they try to hold on to Max Verstappen. The Dutchman’s future remains up in the air, especially as he continues talks with Mercedes about a possible switch.
The four-time champion has already ruled himself out of the 2025 title race, with Red Bull trailing McLaren by 288 points in the constructors’ standings. With Horner gone and more changes expected behind the scenes, some are even questioning whether Red Bull will stay in Formula 1 at all.
Red Bull aren’t likely to put their F1 team up for sale following Christian Horner’s departure
Following the death of owner Dietrich Mateschitz, Horner took on a number of additional roles at Red Bull, but he has since stepped back from most of them. He was removed from his marketing duties by the Thai side of the ownership, who had previously been his main supporters.
This has left Red Bull with a significant restructuring task ahead. Laurent Mekies has been brought in to replace Horner and will lead the team into the new 2026 regulations. Despite all the changes, it’s still considered unlikely that Red Bull will look to sell the team.
Speaking on The Race F1 Podcast, journalist Scott Mitchell Malm discussed how Horner’s departure could impact Red Bull’s approach in both the short and long term:
“I still think it’s competitiveness driven, rather than marketing driven, but the latter is obviously critical to what Red Bull wants to do.
“So, I think that is a factor here, but how we know Red Bull in F1 is massively changing. What we don’t know is whether or not it will be able to be competitive in the longer term. I don’t think, in the short term, its ambitions will change though.”
Edd Straw then shut down any possibility of the team being sold: “Yeah absolutely which means a sale is very unlikely as well. We can almost rule that out I think for now.”
Red Bull Turned Down Racing Bulls Sale Before Christian Horner Departure
This isn’t the first time questions have been raised about Red Bull’s future in Formula 1. They currently own two teams on the grid—an arrangement that McLaren CEO Zak Brown has criticised due to concerns over competitive fairness.
Bought from Minardi back in 2006, Racing Bulls have gradually become more integrated with Red Bull’s main operation over time.
A recent £1.1 billion offer was turned down by Red Bull for Racing Bulls. While details about who made the bid remain unknown, it does underline their commitment to staying involved in Formula 1 despite ongoing speculation.
The immediate focus for Red Bull will be preparing a strong package ahead of 2026 regulations, especially with Verstappen reportedly having doubts about their power unit plans and holding contract exit clauses next season.
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