Christian Horner’s three best options for F1 return from winless team to £298m buy-in, ranked

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Christian Horner has now finalised his exit from Red Bull, but his mind is already on a return to the Formula 1 paddock once the Briton’s gardening leave is over in 2026.

Red Bull sacked Horner without telling him why he was being removed from his operational roles as their F1 CEO and team principal this July. But the 51-year-old has only now formally left the team, as his contract was not set to expire until after the end of the 2030 F1 season.

Negotiations between Red Bull GmbH managing director Oliver Mintzlaff and Horner about his pay-off reached a conclusion after the long-time Red Bull Racing boss waived part of his fee to return to F1 sooner. Red Bull are said to have paid Horner between £52m and £80m.

Horner accepted a reduced pay-off to leave Red Bull as returning to F1 is his only objective, having led the Milton Keynes team for 20 years before being replaced by Laurent Mekies. It is also now said that Horner could return to F1 after the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in March.

READ MORE: All to know on sacked Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with net worth

So, with that in mind, F1 Oversteer has taken a look at the three best options potentially on the table for Horner to return to the Formula 1 paddock in 2026. He has already started to gain suitors, having led Red Bull to win eight F1 drivers’ championships and six teams’ titles.

3) Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey could block Christian Horner from taking over Aston Martin

Now that Horner has officially left Red Bull, he could view Aston Martin as a great option for his eventual return to Formula 1 team management. A move to Silverstone can offer Horner vast resources under their Canadian billionaire owner, Lawrence Stroll, and in a new factory.

It is also said that Stroll might now look to hire Horner for Aston Martin, as he is determined to see his investments pay off. Aston Martin have never won an F1 Grand Prix, but have vast plans under team principal Andy Cowell and new managing technical partner Adrian Newey.

Newey’s presence at Aston Martin could prevent Horner from resurfacing in Silverstone next season, however. It has been claimed that Newey’s contract can let him block Horner joining Aston Martin, having left Red Bull due in part to the Briton lessening his role in their success.

Max Verstappen is also another possible reason why a move to Aston Martin in 2026 might not materialise for Horner. Reports claim that Verstappen may reject joining Aston Martin if Horner is there, which would threaten owner Stroll’s dream to sign the four-time champion.

2) Christian Horner thinks Haas could be a great fit for his Formula 1 return

There will be two American teams on the F1 grid in 2026, with Cadillac joining the party one decade after Haas entered the fray. But while Cadillac have already ruled out Horner making his Formula 1 return with them, the Leamington Spa native might make Haas his new home.

TWG Motorsports chief Dan Towriss stated in August that Cadillac have “no plans” to speak with Horner, with the GM entry firmly backing team principal Graeme Lowdon leading their debut. Yet Cadillac’s stance may now see Horner rock up at their imminent American rivals.

Horner is determined to own shares in his next F1 team and could invest in Haas to realise that dream. Reports have even emerged since Red Bull finalised his departure that Horner thinks Haas could be a great fit for his comeback, in part owing to their tie-up with Toyota.

Current Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu convinced Toyota to return to Formula 1 after a 15-year absence as a technical partner in October 2024. The world’s largest car company is now helping Haas expand, having yet to score a Grand Prix podium through 207 race starts.

1) Alpine may be the only F1 team Christian Horner will consider joining in 2026

Red Bull are potentially most likely to see Horner return to Formula 1 with Alpine following his formal exit from the Milton Keynes crew. Horner is very close friends with Flavio Briatore, the executive adviser to the Renault Group, and he has often been linked with Alpine this year.

Alpine may be the only F1 team Horner will consider joining, in fact, with the Enstone squad eager to improve on their current plight. The 2025 F1 season is currently Alpine’s worst year since the team rebranded from Renault in 2021, with just 20 points from the first 17 rounds.

Last year was their previous worst season, as Alpine took sixth in the constructors’ standings on 65 points (of which 33 came from Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly’s double podium in the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix). Alpine are currently bottom of the 2025 standings on 20 points.

So, Alpine could give Horner a clean slate to rebuild the F1 team, should he agree to take up a role in Enstone. It was even said back in June that Horner was flirting with Alpine adviser Briatore about a potential future in Enstone, before he was then sacked by Red Bull in July.

Horner could even potentially realise his dream of becoming a shareholder in an F1 team by joining Alpine. A switch to Enstone has been on the cards since even before Red Bull sacked him. But Horner faces paying £298m for a 20% stake in Alpine due to their £1.5bn valuation.