What’s next for Horner after Red Bull F1 sacking?

It is the perfect time of year, in Britain at least, to have time on one’s hands to get all green-fingered. 

Following his unceremonious departure from Red Bull, Christian Horner should embrace the time to care for his flowers or manicure his lawn, because he will have plenty of gardening leave on which to do so. 

But Horner is a man hungry for success, you do not boast the sort of record he did across two decades at the pinnacle of motorsport without needing to win. 

So, when he is free to put down the watering can, hang the rake back in the shed and pass responsibility of his grounds back to a team of trained professionals, just what will Horner end up doing? 

Here, Autosport takes a look at some of the options available to the 51-year-old now that he’s free of Red Bull’s stable.  

Take a ride on the Prancing Horse 

Even before his departure from Red Bull, there had been speculation that Horner could be in the running to become the next in a long line of team principals given the task of reviving the fortunes of Ferrari. 

Current incumbent Fred Vasseur is reportedly on borrowed time and there is no clear replacement from within the walls of Maranello, certainly not with the years of experience and know-how that Horner possesses.

It’s for this reason that Horner has previously rebuffed the advances of Ferrari chairman John Elkann – but that was before he found himself out of a job. 

It would no doubt appeal to Horner’s ego, and he would no doubt back himself to return Ferrari to its glory days while also pushing the famous red cars ahead of the Red Bulls. 

Two years ago, it would have been unthinkable to consider a Ferrari rescue act of Horner and Lewis Hamilton, but it is not beyond the realms of possibility now. 

Attempt to master the slippery Alpine slopes 

Alpine may have only just confirmed Steve Nielsen as its managing director but, given the revolving door policy at Enstone these days, he might be gone before he even starts the job on 1 September. 

With Flavio Briatore overseeing things as an advisor to the organisation, Nielsen’s role is essentially a team principal position but with a few caveats thrown in. Namely, it is usually Briatore calling the shots. 

Flavio Briatore talks to Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, on the grid

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

It would be a bit of a stretch to imagine Horner walking into a struggling team with such a power structure in place, but it would be a sign of Alpine’s ambition if it looked to get someone with Horner’s CV on board. 

Enstone, too, is not more than the proverbial stone’s throw from Horner’s home and the prospect of building a winning project almost from the ground up might twist his arm. 

Walk the walk 

Could Horner switch sides? There are plenty of roles within the FIA or F1 itself that he could slide seamlessly into. 

He might not have quite mustered enough support to run for the FIA presidency, even if he had been relieved of his Red Bull duties in time to do so, but there are plenty of other examples of former team bosses who have gone on to work for the authority. 

Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and current F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali all made the switch from the pitwall to the PowerPoint presentation, so why not Horner? 

He knows enough about each team, every business in the infamous F1 paddock ‘piranha club’ and could be a useful addition to the ranks in the halls of power. 

Talk the talk 

Sky F1 presenters Naomi Schiff, Damon Hill, and Natalie Pinkham in the pit lane

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Horner spent 20 years at Red Bull, overseeing 406 grands prix for the team and helping deliver six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ championships. 

And for nearly all of those races, it felt as though Sky Sports had a personal line to Horner. He would appear pre-qualifying, post-qualifying, before the race, during the race, after the race. He knew the value of airtime to get across the message he and the team were trying to land. 

Could he therefore step into the world of television on a full-time basis? Sky has turned over the staffing of its F1 offering in recent times to freshen up the product, and having someone like Horner – with his unrivalled knowledge of the inner workings of the top teams – as part of its team would be a masterstroke. 

Horner had become the pantomime villain, thanks in large parts to Drive to Survive and the role he played in the 2021 title showdown in Abu Dhabi. Plenty, though, would watch – and listen – if only to complain about Horner’s opinions. And these days, all engagement is good engagement in the modern world…