Christian Horner's life since Red Bull sack and 'obvious' F1 return plan

Simon Lazenby has revealed how Christian Hornerhas been keeping himself busy since his shock dismissal from Red Bull. He went on to name Alpine and a potential new Formula One team, where Horner will look to own a share, as obvious landing spots for him if he makes a comeback to the sport.

Horner wassuddenly axed as Red Bull F1's team principal in July after two decades at the helm. The 51-year-old was caught off guard by the decision, having managed the team since their formation in 2005, guiding them to eight drivers' titles and six constructors' crowns.

His exit, which came after the British Grand Prix, was followed by a tearful farewell at Red Bull's Milton Keynes headquarters. It followed months of disappointing on-track results and internal disputes at Red Bull.

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Since Laurent Mekies took over his position, Horner has stayed away from the spotlight. But one individual who has managed to catch up with him in that time is host Lazenby, who was recently asked by Nico Rosberg about what the ex-Red Bull chief said during their encounter.

Lazenby replied: “A lot of the stuff he talked about was off the record. Now that the dust has settled a little bit and he’s spending his weekends riding his horse and spending quality time with his family, which he needed to do, do we think that he will come back?”

With many across the sport convinced that Horner is eager to make an F1 comeback in some form, there has been speculation about which team he will lend his wealth of experience to. However, his return wouldn't be straightforward given his limited options and the unlikelihood of being handed the same power and control at another F1 outfit.

Lazenby added: “Everybody’s saying he’s not going to come back without a share in the team, that’s an obvious thing. He’s got a great relationship with [Alpine team principal] Flavio Briatore. Would he come back there?

“He’s not going to go to Ferrari. He’s not going to want to uproot his entire family. He’s also not potentially going to have a chunk of Ferrari given to him. So does he think about [starting] a twelfth team? Will he start his own team?

“We’re absolutely going to see him again. I feel like this is just an enforced hiatus. He’s going to come back with a point to prove.”

Rosberg agreed that Alpine would represent a logical long-term project, despite the bottom team-placed team only recently confirming Steve Nielsen's appointment as their managing director.

A move to McLaren or Mercedes seems out of the question, whilst Fred Vasseur has secured a new multi-year deal at Ferrari. As they gear up to become F1's 11th team in 2026, Cadillac have held discussions with Horner, though Graeme Lowdon only joined in December.