Christian Horner was fired by Red Bull last year, just three days after the British Grand Prix. That followed a reported internal power struggle, which came after a sexual harassment investigation in early 2024.
Horner, who steered Red Bull to eight Drivers' World Championships and six Constructors' World Championships, denied any wrongdoing and ultimately had his name cleared. However, that combined with the team's decline in form at the start of the 2025 season—as well as concerns about Max Verstappen triggering his exit clause due to poor performance and the departure of key personnel—ultimately led to Horner's dismissal.
Since then, stipulations in his contract have prevented him from joining another team. Well, that's just expired, and Horner is now free to go wherever he chooses.
In recent months, Horner has been strongly linked with Alpine, where he is understood to have negotiated a deal to acquire a 24% stake in Otro Capital for at least $600 million. Mercedes also held discussions over the same equity package, with a decision deadline set for mid-year.
Aston Martin remains a possibility, although Adrian Newey, the team’s current team principal, is reportedly opposed to the move. Horner has also been connected with Ferrari and, more surprisingly, with the CEO position at MotoGP.
During the Miami Grand Prix, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed he would welcome Horner back to F1. "Who can remove Christian Horner's name from motorsport and Formula 1? You can't. It was always successful. But success also has enemies, as we know."
"If you ask me, we miss him in this sport, and I do. I keep in touch with him. He was good for the team, good for the sport. We would welcome him back, and someone like him will always find his way," he continued. "I always say to him, you talk too much, but you don't mean anything bad. He has a clean heart."
"And he wants to come back. As I said, I talk to him regularly, and I feel he will be back. When he comes back, it will be like he went for a vacation. When someone like him has that history behind him, you don't look at his credibility. People will come to him. But also, it has to be both ways, because how do people know that you are interested if you don't show your interest?
"I don't give advice. I just give some ideas, but he's full of knowledge, his record is amazing, and I do like him. He's been a character in the sport," Ben Sulayem concluded.
Stay tuned for updates as we have them.