Christian Horner visited the United States of America this week, sharing images from New York on his social media.
The former Red Bull boss is weighing up his options for an F1 return, once he has served a period of gardening leave following his split with the energy drinks giant earlier this year.
Christian Horner visits New York – continuing investment drive?
Eagle-eyed F1 fans were surprised to spot Horner out and about in New York earlier this week, with images appearing on social media of the former Red Bull man posing for pictures on the streets of the city as passers-by realised who was in their midst.
Since his split with his former team in late summer, Horner has been spotted on holiday in Croatia and Scotland with his family and wife, former Spice Girl Geri Horner, and the British executive has headed Stateside for his latest trip as he continues to maintain a low public profile.
The reason for Horner’s visit to New York is unclear. As reported by PlanetF1.com recently, Horner is believed to have already secured significant financial backing for his next venture; as the team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing, his stewardship of eight Drivers’ Championships and six Constructors’ Championships over two decades has meant potential investors aren’t shy about coming forward to offer support.
Following his departure from his operational roles at Red Bull, his negotiated exit from the company saw him pocket a sum of circa $100 million. The conditions of this split are believed to allow Horner to return to competitive action by the middle of the F1 2026 season.
The big question at this point is what that future could look like. The prospect of returning to the grid as ‘merely’ a team principal is not thought to be his first priority, with sources indicating that Horner’s focus is more on that of a CEO and the establishment of a team’s strategic direction, a step above his former role.
With significant financial backing, Horner is understood to be seeking equity in an F1 team, whether that be a minority or majority shareholding, or even the acquisition of a team in its entirety.
His roster of backers is already believed to be sufficient for the outright purchase of any current team, even with new, eye-watering team valuations emerging as F1’s popularity booms.
Recently, McLaren’s sale of shares from MSP Capital Partners to Mumtalakat and CYVN Holdings valued the team at $5 billion, while, only this week, Toto Wolff’s purported sale of a small slice of his Motorsports Investment Ltd. holding company would value Mercedes Grand Prix at around $6 billion.
It’s not yet clear what Horner’s path could be.
The most likely option for Horner is to create and lead a brand-new team, given his experience of building an F1 team up from his overhaul of Jaguar when he took over at Red Bull in 2005.
Horner is understood to have already had meetings with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali regarding this possibility, while he also met with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem for a social dinner, together with McLaren CEO Zak Brown, recently.
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Ben Sulayem has indicated his interest in opening an Expressions of Interest (EOI) phase for potential new teams, particularly if there is backing from a Chinese OEM (such as BYD).
“When we opened the Expression of Interest [in 2023], what was the outcome based on?” the FIA president told select media, including PlanetF1.com, earlier this summer.
“Due process, competency framework, and without looking at which company it was, as long as it fulfilled the regulations and the application of the FIA.
“We have an 11th team. I believe we should look into the performance of the 11th team, and then, if there is a Chinese [bid], and I will speak on behalf of them now in front of you, they [FOM] will agree to that, because it is about sustaining the business.”
Of the existing teams, Alpine is set for a big drop in earned prize money this winter, due to it occupying 10th and last in the Constructors’ Championship, and, just this week, reduced its issued share capital in its holding company from £41 million to £13.1 million. This is usually only done to help a company’s financial position, perhaps if a company has become overcapitalised, or if a company has encountered losses.
There’s also the question mark of when the external investors in Alpine, Otro Capital, Redbird Capital, and Maximum Effort Investments (all, coincidentally, headquartered in New York City), may seek to cash in on their investment and withdraw their 24 percent shareholding in the squad.
That slice of the organisation cost the group $218 million in 2023, valuing the team at around $900 million at the time. The figure has since risen an estimated $3 billion, meaning a sale now would see a roughly $500 million profit, a return on investment of around 130 per cent.
Horner’s relationship with Aston Martin’s managing technical partner, Adrian Newey, is, contrary to rumour, understood to have only strengthened this year, with the two men frequently socialising, particularly following Horner’s split with Red Bull.
However, Aston Martin becoming a potential new home for Horner doesn’t appear likely, following CEO Andy Cowell’s insistence in September that, “I can clearly say there are no plans for involvement of Christian, either in an operational or investment role in the future.”
While there was a confirmed courtesy meeting between Horner and an intermediary for Gene Haas, of the eponymous team, Haas’ stance of not wishing to sell the team or divulging any ownership stake remains unchanged.
A random walk in the City, met the Legend himself Christian Horner. Truly a mensch
Architect of @redbullracing pic.twitter.com/MYppF4DQ8p
— Jon Gordon (@jongord0n) November 13, 2025
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