Simon Lazenby knows Christian Horner’s F1 comeback plan after ‘off-the-record’ conversation

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Christian Horner is still on the lookout for the perfect opportunity that will see him return to the F1 paddock, and Simon Lazenby has shared that he is aware of the former Red Bull man’s plans after a recent ‘off-the-record’ chat with him.

A swathe of Formula 1 teams have been linked with Christian Horner since his exit from Red Bull was made official in September.

The British executive spent 20 years as the leader of the Milton Keynes-based outfit, winning eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships on the way.

F1 paddock ‘whispers’ suggest that Alpine are in the front seat to sign Horner’s services, which would make sense, given his friendship with the current de facto team principal of the team, Flavio Briatore.

It has also been reported that Horner has met with investors in hopes of securing enough capital to purchase a stake in a team. Alpine are understood to be on the hunt for new financiers, and that plays into the hands of exactly what the 51-year-old is after.

READ MORE: How Sebastian Vettel reacted to Red Bull sacking Christian Horner as F1 team principal

Simon Lazenby shares what he can from an ‘off-the-record’ conversation with Christian Horner

The Sky Sports F1 presenter was a guest on a recent episode of Lucas Stewart’s Driver YouTube series, and was keen to pick the brain of Lazenby in regards to the future endeavours of the former Red Bull team principal.

Asked if he has any inside knowledge of how close Horner is to making a return to the paddock, the Brit replied, “Yeah, I do. I mean, I’ve spoken to him off the record a couple of times since he’s left.

“What I can say is, and I don’t think it’d be giving too much away to say that if he comes back, he wants skin in the game, despite the fact he’s just had an 80 million pound payoff. The fact is that it’ll drive his interest, and others have got it, look at Toto [Wolff].

“Look at some of the other bosses. They have a stake in the team, and he built that up along with the rest of the Red Bull clan. Okay, the empire has fallen, but I think he’s probably got a point to prove and wants to come back and do something.”

Stewart then listed the different teams that have been linked with the 51-year-old since his exit from the Austrian constructor, to which Lazenby highlighted Horner’s links with Haas, adding, “Well, even Haas has been mentioned now. So I think a purchase might be more likely than starting another one.

“I just think the barriers to it, I mean, there’s room for another one in the Concord [Agreement], but obviously that will come to a close soon.

“So, the more likely route is probably that he gets investment and ends up back in it through purchasing something with some massive sponsors on his side.”

READ MORE: Christian Horner tried something ‘you cannot do’ in modern F1 before he lost his job at Red Bull

Christian Horner was jealous of Toto Wolff’s ownership of Mercedes’ F1 outfit

The latter stages of Horner’s tenure at Red Bull were marked by the intense rivalry he shared with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

The highly controversial and intense events that took place during the 2021 F1 season started a bitter rivalry between the two team chiefs on their quest to run the fastest team on the grid.

Following his ousting from Red Bull, it had emerged that Horner was jealous of Wolff’s position at Mercedes, where he currently holds a stake in the team that equates to a third of the total ownership.

This is understood to be the main reason why the Brit is so adamant about returning to the pit lane in such a fashion.

Despite it being regarded as the best way to enter the world of F1, due to its blossoming popularity across the globe at the moment, Wolff is now looking to sell off a small percentage of his stake in the team to a new buyer.

The Austrian will still remain in control of the team, and the deal is expected to be one of the biggest in sporting history.