How Red Bull feel about selling their Formula 1 team after Christian Horner’s exit as team principal

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Red Bull parted company with team principal Christian Horner last week after 20 years in charge. The decision has raised questions about the future of both parties in F1.

Days after his departure from Red Bull and Horner is already being linked with several teams up and down the paddock, with Ferrari and Alpine linked with the 51-year-old.

However, despite holding an interest in the Brit for some time, Horner is ‘destined’ not to join Ferrari and replace the under-pressure Fred Vasseur. Instead, Horner could become part-owner of Alpine alongside former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, as Flavio Briatore is keen to bring him on board.

As rumours swirl about Horner’s future, Red Bull have been thrown into huge uncertainty as they face pressure to keep star driver Max Verstappen. Despite the team principal’s exit, there is no guarantee that the Dutchman will stay as Verstappen holds talks with Mercedes over a potential deal.

The four-time champion has ruled himself out of the title race in 2025 as Red Bull sit 288 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship. With Horner gone, huge structural changes are set to happen behind the scenes, with some even wondering if the team will stay in F1.

Red Bull are ‘very unlikely’ to sell their F1 team after Christian Horner’s exit

The 51-year-old assumed a lot of responsibility at Red Bull after the passing of owner Dietrich Mateschitz, much of which he has now relinquished. Horner was forced to give up the responsibility of marketing by the Thai side of the ownership, his biggest ally, after they threatened to cut off contact.

It has left the team with a huge restructuring job at hand, as they bring in Laurent Mekies to replace Horner to oversee the operation as they head into the 2026 F1 regulations. But amid the uncertainty, Red Bull are ‘very unlikely’ to sell their operation.

Journalist Scott Mitchell Malm spoke about what Horner’s exit meant for Red Bull’s short and long-term future in the sport via The Race F1 Podcast: “The way that Red Bull goes about F1 is fundamentally different.

“I still think it’s competitiveness driven, rather than marketing driven, but the latter is obviously critical to what Red Bull wants to do.

“So, I think that is a factor here, but how we know Red Bull in F1 is massively changing. What we don’t know is whether or not it will be able to be competitive in the longer term. I don’t think, in the short term, its ambitions will change, though.”

Edd Straw then shut down any possibility of the team being sold: “Yeah, absolutely, which means a sale is very unlikely as well. We can almost rule that out I think for now.”

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

Red Bull had rejected a bid to sell sister team Racing Bulls amid Christian Horner’s exit

This is not the first time that speculation has come about a possible sale at Red Bull in F1. They own 20% of the teams on the grid, with Racing Bulls now moving closer to the main team’s operation.

Having bought the team from Minardi in 2006, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has expressed concerns about Red Bull’s ownership of two teams. He thinks their relationship with Racing Bulls creates an unfair advantage.

It was recently revealed that Red Bull rejected a £1.1 billion bid for Racing Bulls. It is unclear who the potential buyer was, but it highlights the company’s commitment to F1 amid the rumours.

The biggest task for Red Bull now is to ensure that they have a competitive package for 2026, especially when Verstappen’s camp has major doubts over the power unit. He could still leave the team, with Verstappen having more favourable exit clauses in his contract next season.