Christian Horner may have to wait four years to make F1 comeback after talks ‘stalled’

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Christian Horner is now eyeing a return to the F1 paddock at the start of the next cycle of Formula 1 regulations after recent comeback talks fizzled out, according to a report.

The former Red Bull chief has been in contact with the majority of the grid’s current occupants over a potential role following his exit from the Austrian constructor last year, but is yet to make a breakthrough.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem expects to see Christian Horner return to F1. Which team would be his best landing spot?

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Alpine looked like Horner’s best chance of making a return to the pinnacle of single-seater motorsport, but the possibility of him purchasing a stake in the French constructor was later vetoed by the F1 team’s parent company, Renault.

Following the breakdown in talks between himself and Alpine, Horner switched his attention to BYD. As the largest EV manufacturer in the world, the Shenzhen-based giants are as interested in entering F1 as the sport is in getting a foot into the Chinese market.

• READ MORE: Christian Horner knows it is ‘pointless’ trying to join two F1 teams due to his ‘personal animosity’

Christian Horner may have to wait until 2030 at the very earliest to make F1 comeback

After being absent from the F1 paddock since he was given his marching orders by Red Bull last year, Horner returned to his former office for the first time at the British Grand Prix earlier this month.

Just days later, it emerged that Horner’s hopes of leading BYD’s entry had shut down, after the car manufacturer’s executive vice president, Stella Li, confirmed that they have no intention of exploring F1 in the immediate future.

A recent report from F1-Insider has shed more light on Horner’s next step. Acknowledging that Horner’s talks with BYD had ‘stalled’, the report states that the British executive is now ‘working on an entry’ he hopes to field at the start of F1’s next regulatory lifecycle.

At the time of writing, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is targeting 2030, or 2031 at the very latest, to transition away from the turbo-hybrid engine formula in favour of a return to louder and simpler V8 power units that utilise sustainable fuels.

• READ MORE: Damon Hill explains why fans are wrong to think V8 engine return could be F1’s saving grace

Since departing Red Bull after 20 years at the helm, Horner is adamant about having “skin in the game”. The current grid apparently has no use for him, and so a brand new constructor would ensure that he is back where he wants to be on his own terms.