Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull in 2025 caught everyone by surprise, not least the man himself, who was still in the early stages of trying to turn things around.
Horner had been with Red Bull since their entry into Formula 1 in 2005, overseeing eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships. But by 2025, the team was facing real issues.
Tensions among key personnel – which included Adrian Newey’s departure – and a decline in performance led to Horner’s dismissal following the British Grand Prix.
He was later given a settlement reported to be between £52m and £80m when he officially parted ways with the team in September. Laurent Mekies stepped in as his replacement and has since taken over as Red Bull prepares for a new era of building and supplying their own engines from 2026.
“I’d already spoken with Oliver Mintzlaff before he left about it, we spoke at Silverstone after qualifying. And after that meeting I still felt like I would be staying,” Horner said on Beyond The Grid.
Chalerm Yoovidhya gave Christian Horner ‘three years’ to rebuild Red Bull
Horner’s most influential supporter at Red Bull, Chalerm Yoovidhya, also lost patience as the team’s performances dropped and tensions behind the scenes grew.
According to journalist Matt Majiende on The Race F1 Podcast, Yoovidhya and Horner met in 2025 to outline a recovery plan. Horner was told he had three years to turn things around but was sacked just weeks later.
Reflecting on the 2026 car, Majiende said: “I think on the other side, the sort of chassis side, obviously there’s been problems with the car. Maybe we saw Miami things turning around, but that that’s not been as successful. But from the powertrain side, [it] was a promising start.
“But there was definitely a nervousness. If you take Christian Horner for example, he was talking to Chalerm Yoovidhya, went to Dubai to meet him a few weeks before he was removed and talking about getting things back on track and the rebuild of the team, how long is that going to take?
“And he said five years and he was told, ‘Well, you’ve got three years.’ As it was, it was only a few weeks, but it tells the tale that they felt this would be a slow rebuild process. So, time would be needed.
“It was interesting to see Miami, where they were, seeing Max Verstappen nearly getting pole was super, super impressive. And if they can carry on, we talked about the in-season development, and if they do that again. It’d be fascinating to see what happens.”
What does the future hold for Christian Horner in Formula 1?
Horner is now free to negotiate with other teams and find a way back into the F1 paddock. He has been speaking to numerous outfits, as he looks to take on an ownership role.
Horner has been heavily linked with Alpine, with Otro Capital looking to sell their 24% stake in the team. He is not Renault’s preferred bidder, however, with Toto Wolff and Mercedes expressing an interest to buy the Enstone outfit.
This has caused major controversy, with Zak Brown sending a letter to the FIA, raising his concerns over Mercedes’ ownership of Alpine and the potential for them to become their B team.
Brown could have paved the way for Horner’s comeback, as he could now capitalise on Mercedes’ deal being blocked and strike a deal himself. Alternatively, he has also been linked with BYD, as the Chinese manufacturer look to join F1.
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