Christian Horner might not be a free man for long, with his departure from Red Bull now being official opening the doors for rival Formula 1 teams to chase his services.
Red Bull sacked Horner without telling him why he was being removed from his operational duties as their F1 CEO and team principal back in July. But the two parties have been locked in talks ever since about the size of his severance package to leave after 20 years in charge.
Those talks have now reached a conclusion, with Horner waiving part of his pay-off to leave Red Bull in order to reduce the length of his gardening leave. It is thought that the 51-year-old will be able to join a rival Formula 1 team in May 2026, with a return to F1 his only aim.
Horner led Red Bull since their debut during the 2005 F1 season and he guided the team to all eight of their F1 drivers’ championship crowns, plus all six of their constructors’ titles. He was even the architect behind creating Red Bull Powertrains ahead of F1’s 2026 regulations.
Do not rule out Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll targeting sacked Red Bull boss Christian Horner
The Briton sensed that the writing was on the wall for him in Milton Keynes before the axe fell only days after July’s British Grand Prix. It was said back in June that Horner was flirting with Alpine chief Flavio Briatore about potentially joining the Renault-owned team in the future.
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| CHRISTIAN HORNER’S RECORD AS RED BULL F1 TEAM PRINCIPAL | |
| Grands Prix entered | 406 |
| Wins | 124 |
| Podiums | 287 |
| Pole positions | 107 |
| Points | 8,009 |
| Drivers’ championships | 8 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) |
| Constructors’ championships | 6 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022, 2023) |
But now that his departure from Red Bull is official, The Telegraph reports that it would be foolish to rule out Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll making a move to hire Horner. The ‘ultra-ambitious’ Canadian billionaire is desperate to make his Silverstone squad a success.
Aston Martin are considered the ‘most intriguing’ option potentially available for Horner to return to F1, given his desire to not only potentially make his comeback as a team principal but as a part-owner of a team. Horner is determined to get shares in the next team he joins.
Adrian Newey and Christian Horner could reconcile and reunite at Aston Martin
Audi, Alpine, Haas and Williams would be the most likely alternatives for Horner to return to F1 as a co-team owner, if not with Aston Martin. But Stroll’s desire to see his investments in Aston Martin yield a huge reward might pave the route that sees Horner take over the reins.
A move to Aston Martin would also see Horner reunite with Adrian Newey, who left Red Bull in May 2024 owing to his belief that the former was undermining his influence in the team’s success. But they have strong familial ties and a reconciliation would not be hard to achieve.
Stroll only changed Aston Martin’s team principal in January 2025, as Andy Cowell replaced Mike Krack in the role as they prepare for F1’s 2026 regulations. He even made Newey a 5% shareholder in Aston Martin to make him their managing technical partner from this March.
So, given he gave Newey shares, it may not be too far-fetched to think Stroll would agree to offer Horner shares if he were open to taking charge of Aston Martin. The Silverstone team are yet to win a Formula 1 race across their 112 Grand Prix starts during the brand’s history.