F1 paddock rumours suggest Christian Horner is now interested in investing in 207-race team

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Suggestions that Christian Horner could return to the Formula 1 paddock aren’t going away months after he was sacked by Red Bull Racing.

Red Bull appear to have turned a corner in recent races, with Max Verstappen on pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Verstappen has committed his future to Red Bull for 2026, something that appeared to be in doubt when Christian Horner was in charge.

Horner faced a serious crisis at Red Bull if Verstappen had left, with Yuki Tsunoda currently sitting 19th in the drivers’ championship since his promotion from Racing Bulls after just two races.

The team currently sit fourth in the constructors’ championship as a result, which is directly linked with prize money and the amount of time teams get in the wind tunnel.

Red Bull chiefs decided a change was needed after this year’s British Grand Prix, and Laurent Mekies was promoted as Horner’s successor.

However, the success that Horner enjoyed during his 20 years in charge can’t be ignored, and that will appeal to several other drivers in the paddock.

Former driver Christijan Albers is well-connected in Formula 1 and has heard suggestions about a new team that Horner could be interested in investing in.

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

Christijan Albers thinks Christian Horner wants to ‘buy shares’ in Haas after Red Bull exit

Horner is interested in becoming a part-owner of a Formula 1 team, rather than just returning as a team principal once again.

Speaking to Viaplay in Baku, Albers suggested that Haas, who have entered 207 Grand Prix since their debut in 2016, could be of interest to the 51-year-old.

He explained: “There is a lot of speculation. I’m really surprised, because I learned today that they would be OK with a severance package of nearly £70 million.

“Five years indeed, until 2030. So I asked myself: how is that possible?

“He was earning eight million a year, or forty million over five years.

“Where does the remaining sixty million come from? Probably from a specific clause. But there are many rumours circulating.

“I’ve heard that he might want to buy shares in Haas.

“We also see him flirting with Alpine, and Haas, but he will first have to wait and see if there is an agreement in his case before going any further.”

READ MORE: All to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari and Toyota ties

Ayao Komatsu laments ‘very frustrating’ Azerbaijan Grand Prix after double driver nightmare

Haas have a single pole position to their name courtesy of Kevin Magnussen at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix and have never recorded a podium finish.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu has done a great job since taking over from Guenther Steiner, and has a promising driver partnership in Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon.

Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix didn’t go to plan for Haas, with Ocon disqualified for using an illegal rear wing, while Bearman was responsible for one of six red flags, after he crashed at the beginning of Q2.

Speaking after the session, Komatsu explained: “It’s obviously very frustrating to say the least.

“We’ve had speed all weekend, we’ve shown that, but when it mattered, as a team, we didn’t deliver.

“Sooner or later, we need to deliver; otherwise, we’re going to run out of races. I feel that we’re very much out of position for tomorrow, but we’re just going to have to do our best to get into the top 10, it’s just incredibly frustrating.”

Horner will believe that any team he joins, he can provide plenty of expertise from his two decades at Red Bull.

Going from one of the largest organisations in the sport to the smallest would be an interesting adaptation for Horner if he follows through with any potential interest in Haas.