Red Bull have moved on quickly from ex-boss Christian Horner and have their eyes set on 2026 as he plots his next move.
The Briton was subject to a shock axe by the Milton Keynes-based outfit after the British Grand Prix, following a disappointing start to the Formula 1 season.
Red Bull moved forward with Laurent Mekies as his replacement, and they have now set about improving their position in the constructors’ championship.
Meanwhile, little has been heard on the Horner front, with nothing but speculation as to what his future might hold.
Horner has already been meeting a Formula 1 chief, and he will now be on the lookout for his next big opportunity. A bit like Adrian Newey with Aston Martin, he’ll want a long-term project.
There are few options to pick from currently, as most teams seek stability for next year. Horner’s next step is obvious after Cadillac shut him down, but it would be a bold move.
Photo by Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via Getty Images‘Everybody’ in the paddock is convinced Christian Horner will rejoin F1 soon after Red Bull departure
Horner had a ‘very aggressive’ Plan B to sign Carlos Sainz if he lost Max Verstappen to Mercedes before his departure. Thinking about that now is almost unfathomable.
The team have kept their superstar driver, which might be critical to any future success, but they still need to prove to him that Red Bull Powertrains can be a winner.
Juan Pablo Montoya’s theory is that Horner may never ‘work in F1 again’, but one of Red Bull’s ex-drivers, Robert Doornbos, seems to disagree.
“Everybody is convinced he will come back. Everybody in the paddock is convinced Christian will come back. A settlement had to be arranged with Red Bull,” he said.
“So, behind the scenes, a lot of the lawyer stuff, and I think it’s now settled because he’s obviously not an employee anymore of Red Bull. I think two weeks ago, they signed him out of the board in England. For him now, it’s trying to find an opportunity that fulfils his needs.”
READ MORE: Christian Horner told he only has two ‘viable options’ to return to Formula 1 after Red Bull exit
Why Christian Horner needs to take time before jumping into his next F1 challenge
It’s expected that Horner’s payout from Red Bull would have been quite large, leaving him financially set for some time.
Other than boredom, there’s no real motivation for him to rush back to the grid without properly thinking about his next move.
In 2026, there are plenty of team principals who could be on the ‘hot seat’ if their teams fail to deliver the level of performance expected (Ferrari and Fred Vasseur are one example).
Horner created a ‘chaos’ hiring problem in the years leading up to his demise. A fresh start might have been what all parties needed, and now he will have the chance to hand-select his next gig.