CHRISTIAN HORNER is already plotting a move back into Formula One for 2026.
The 51-year-old has been handed a whopping £80million payout for leaving Red Bull Racing.
Christian Horner is eyeing a stunning return to F1[/caption]
Two teams have been touted as possible destinations[/caption]
Horner was sacked as team principal following a poor result for the team at the British Grand Prix in July.
He had been the longest-serving team principal in F1 after 20 years at the constructor, overseeing eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships.
According to the Daily Mail, Horner is already “missing” the sport a lot, and is itching to get back to his life in the fast lane.
But the report adds that Horner’s mega payout was actually less than the £110m settlement for his contract which ran to 2030.
And SunSport understands that means he is free to return to F1 as early as spring 2026.
Following his payout – half of which Horner risks losing through tax – Horner is set to explore his options for joining a new team as a co-owner.
The Mail claim Horner wants “equity in a team” which would give him the power to make key decisions more than that of a simple team principal.
His friendship with Alpine chief Flavio Briatore has sparked links to the French constructor.
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Meanwhile, American minnows Haas are also on his radar, and have been outlined by sources as a possible destination.
Gene Haas is the current owner of the team but has been reluctant to put heavy money behind them following their entry into the sport in 2016.
An incredible switch from four wheels to two wheels has also reportedly been suggested to Horner by none-other than former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
The 94-year-old is said to have privately earmarked a move for Horner to become its new head honcho.
The motorcycle series saw a takeover Liberty Media, the owners of F1, completed in July of this year for a head-spinning £3.6billion.
Yet the glitz and glam of motorsport’s most prestigious format could prove too much of a pull for Horner to consider a move away from F1.
A source close to Horner told the Mail: “He has not got head space at the moment to think directly about his next move.
“He wants to come back to the F1 paddock, but he wants to assess how best to achieve that. He will do.
“He is a workaholic, and so sitting about doing nothing is not what he would choose. Indeed, he didn’t choose it. It came to him out of a blue sky.”
Horner was replaced by Laurent Mekies – promoted from the sister team Racing Bulls – at Red Bull without being given an official reason.
But in the last two races, Max Verstappen has collected wins at both the Italian Grand Prix and Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
That has given the Dutchman an outside shout about being back in the drivers’ championship contention, though the gap to McLaren‘s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris remains a huge mountain to climb.
