Christian Horner officially left Red Bull Racing on Monday after both parties came to an agreement over his severance package, and Craig Slater has assessed the options through which the 51-year-old can return to the F1 grid with a rival team.
Horner is expected to receive around £80m from Red Bull following his sacking from the team in July after a 20-year position as team principal of the Austrian racing outfit.
His tenure at the team was highly successful, winning eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships, but his final days were marred by controversy and poor on-track results.
Upon his departure, questions were asked regarding his desire to return to the sport. However, it has been reported that Horner sacrificed around £30m to speed up his F1 return.
It’s understood that he can return to the F1 grid with a rival team as early as next summer.
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Christian Horner could buy a stake in an existing F1 team if he doesn’t want to build a brand-new entry
Speaking on Sky Sports News following the announcement that terms of Horner’s exit had been confirmed, pundit Craig Slater listed the options that he has at his disposal to make a swift return to the F1 grid at his earliest opportunity.
“What I do know is a lot of big commercial entities, and we’re talking about blue-chip companies, sovereign wealth funds, big venture capital groups, have already been in touch with Christian Horner,” Slater revealed.
“Groups which want to get into F1 and Horner will now assess all these options. There are two ways of getting into F1 as a stakeholder: one is by buying a team, and then this other potential option of founding what would be the 12th and final team, which the current regulations allow for within the sport.
“That is a cheaper way. Cadillac have paid maybe half a billion pounds for certification to get on board. Yes, they’ll have to build up all the infrastructure, but it’s going to cost a minimum of a billion and a half to two billion pounds to buy an existing team.
“Against that, there’s always talk about Alpine perhaps diluting the stake. Could he buy a chunk of that business, perhaps with some venture capitalists? Audi bought the Sauber team; might they want to hive off a share of that? There’s been talk around that as well, so let’s see.”
The payout from his former employers is sure to aid the executive in his next steps within the world of single-seater motorsport, and a number of options have already been touted.
Haas have emerged as a genuine contender for Horner’s services, but, as noted by Slater, there are a swathe of options that the 51-year-old can explore before making a decision.
READ MORE: F1 paddock rumours suggest Christian Horner is now interested in investing in 207-race team
Red Bull have finally found their footing under the new leadership of Laurent Mekies
The news of Red Bull reaching an agreement with Horner comes after the team’s second consecutive Grand Prix victory of the 2025 campaign.
The victory on the streets of Baku marked Red Bull’s first time securing successive wins since the Spanish Grand Prix last season.
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Oscar Piastri |
324 |
| 2 |
Lando Norris |
299 |
| 3 |
Max Verstappen |
255 |
| 4 |
George Russell |
212 |
| 5 |
Charles Leclerc |
165 |
Laurent Mekies’ leadership has allowed Max Verstappen to step into a more prominent role at Milton Keynes, and the fallout from that has been nothing but positive in terms of the on-track results.
After making a set-up call at Monza that proved fruitful, Verstappen was hailed for his tyre choice ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which aided him in securing his fourth win of the current term.
Sitting just 44 points behind Lando Norris in the F1 standings, the reigning world champion needs a few more results to go his way in order for him to become a serious contender for a fifth consecutive world title.