Christian Horner is now ‘talking’ to F1 team who only appointed their team principal in December

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Christian Horner already seems determined to return to Formula 1. It’s been less than a fortnight since Red Bull sacked their team principal after a 20-year tenure.

Horner is yet to speak to the media, but his activity in private suggests that he’s eyeing a route back into the paddock. While Red Bull lost their stability, his record of 124 wins and eight constructors’ titles is bound to appeal.

Of course, not every team will have an interest. Despite the pressure on Fred Vasseur, talk of Horner joining Ferrari has cooled.

And though he has a strong relationship with Flavio Briatore, it’s hard to imagine Horner at Alpine under the current organisational structure. Indeed, he’ll only return for a project that meets his extremely high standards.

Christian Horner and Cadillac have been in contact after his Red Bull departure

According to a report from Formula Uno Analisi Tecnica, Cadillac have now emerged as the ‘likeliest’ destination for Horner. The Americans have yet to contest a race, with their debut pencilled in for next year’s Australian GP.

But at the end of the decade, they will effectively become a General Motors works team. Backed by that manufacturer’s enormous resources, they should in theory be able to compete with the established elite long term.

Horner is familiar with this blueprint from his days at Red Bull, who harnessed the wealth of the Austrian drinks brand to climb from midfield underdogs to championship winners in five years. Cadillac have a deal to use Ferrari engines at first.

Cadillac only appointed Graeme Lowdon to lead the team last December, but perhaps Horner will take on a different role. He would apparently enjoy the ‘time’ and ‘freedom’ he’s seeking.

For now, ‘there has been contact and the two parties are talking’. The team will need to rework their operation to find room for a dominant figure like Horner.

How much money Christian Horner is actually set to receive from Red Bull

Horner has escaped a qualifying clause in his Red Bull deal, which is why he’s able to start these negotiations. Adrian Newey, for so long his right-hand man, was working for Aston Martin within a year of his Red Bull exit.

Likewise, Jonathan Wheatley started at Sauber just eight months after the move was announced. It’s unclear at this stage whether Horner would like to join Cadillac before their debut, or whether that’s possible.

In addition to these talks, Horner is negotiating a pay-off with Red Bull. The latest reports suggest that he could receive £110m, i.e. the wages he was expecting to pick up before the end of his contract in 2030.

At 51, Horner may not feel it’s the right time to retire. And there might be part of him too that wants to beat Red Bull on track, fuelled by a sense of injustice.