Christian Horner speaks out about his F1 comeback during his first paddock visit since leaving Red Bull.
Christian Horner, the former Red Bull team boss, shared his thoughts on what it would take for him to come back to Formula 1, ahead of the British Grand Prix. He also talked about working with three different teams.
Horner spent 20 years with Red Bull before leaving after the 2025 British Grand Prix. During that time, he helped the team win eight Drivers’ Championships and six Constructors’ Championships. He officially left Red Bull in July, agreeing to a big exit deal reportedly worth around £75 million. This deal means he could return to F1 sooner than usual.
On July 5, Horner was back in the Formula 1 paddock for the first time since leaving Red Bull, right before the Silverstone race.
When Sky Sports’ Craig Slater asked about coming back to F1, Horner said, “It’s great to be back at Silverstone. I’m a big fan of the sport and haven’t missed the British Grand Prix since 1993, so it feels good to be here.”
He’s also said he feels he has “unfinished business” in F1 and might buy a stake in a team, which he never did at Red Bull. Horner, 52, and a group of investors have been linked with buying part of Alpine from Otro Capital. He’s also been connected to a new 12th team backed by Chinese car maker BYD.
“I’ve enjoyed some time off,” Horner said at Silverstone. “After 20 years straight with Red Bull, it’s been nice to step off the hamster wheel for a bit. But if I come back, it has to be the right chance—something that can really win.”
Slater asked Horner about which team he might join. On Aston Martin, Horner said, “It’s a great British brand, and it’s sad to see them struggling. But there’s lots of talk—one week Aston, next week Alpine, then somewhere else. I wish them all the best today.”
About Alpine, he said, “F1 is in a great spot right now. The racing this year has been amazing, and watching it from the sidelines has been fun. There’s a lot of interest in F1—people want to get involved, so we’ll see. I’m not in a hurry.”
When asked about the BYD-backed new team, Horner replied, “There’s a lot of excitement about F1 right now. BYD is a big company. There’s been so many rumors—I think I’ve been linked with every team on the grid! But today, I’m just here to enjoy the race as a fan.”