When Christian Horner can return to work in Formula 1 as rumoured Red Bull payout figure revealed

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Christian Horner was sacked as Red Bull team principal midway through the 2025 Formula 1 season. Rumours have since been rife as to where he will go next.

Dismissed shortly after the British GP, Red Bull have never officially revealed the reason for Horner’s exit. However, it is believed that it is down to a combination of poor performances and a falling out with key figures in the team.

The Milton Keynes outfit regressed in development at the start of 2025, leading to a tense atmosphere among key personnel, notably between Horner, Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen. Ultimately, the team principal’s job became untenable.

Horner even lost the backing of Red Bull’s Thai owners, who were his closest allies within the team. Chaleo Yoovidhya and Oliver Mintzlaff ultimately made the decision to sack the 51-year-old, replacing him with Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies.

Since the Brit’s exit, the ‘ill-feeling’ at Red Bull has gone as they look to have turned a corner, with Max Verstappen winning back-to-back races in Monza and Baku. But the team could now soon be competing against Horner in the paddock.

Christian Horner can return to F1 in the summer of 2026 after £80 million Red Bull payout

The 51-year-old was effectively dismissed as team principal back in July, but he still has a contract with Red Bull until 2030. Naturally, this would mean a sizeable payout for the team to terminate the deal.

It was previously reported that Red Bull would have to pay Horner eight figures after ‘permanently’ relieving him of all duties. Now, according to The Times, he is expected to receive ‘over £80 million’.

In a report from Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, ‘agreements have also been made’ about when Horner will be allowed to sign with another team. He is set to undertake ‘so-called gardening leave’ for nine months from the date of his sacking.

This means that the former Red Bull boss will be able to return to the F1 paddock by the summer of 2026, with many teams already being linked with his services.

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Where could Christian Horner go next after leaving Red Bull?

‘Everyone’ in the paddock thinks Horner will return to F1 in some capacity. It is likely that he will take on some kind of ownership role, rather than sitting on the pit wall as a team leader.

Horner had held talks with Ferrari, but these rumours were quickly shut down by the Brit, with Fred Vasseur now signing a contract extension in Maranello. Cadillac is also not an option for the 51-year-old.

Rumours have suggested that Horner ‘could be going’ to Aston Martin, which would spark a reunion with Adrian Newey and Honda. Recently, it has been reported that Horner is interested in buying shares in Haas and becoming an investor.

Alpine have been the team linked the most with the former Red Bull boss, given his strong relationship with Flavio Briatore. Horner has been having talks with Briatore over lunch; he could attract his close friend to Enstone next season.