Just a week ago, Red Bull shocked the F1 community by sacking Christian Horner, the team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing. Ever since, there has been a lot of speculation as to where Horner might end up next or whether we will ever see him again in the F1 paddock. F1 Analyst Will Buxton has given us some insight into this.
Over the past few weeks, we have heard rumours that Horner is in talks with other teams. These rumours were shot down almost immediately by Horner himself. One team that kept coming up was Ferrari. But Buxton thinks that is a no-go due to Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with the current Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur. But one other team will be interested in bringing in Horner.
Will Buxton gives insight into Christian Horner’s future in F1 after shock exit
Will Buxton spoke on the Sports Agents Podcast about where Horner could head after being fired by Red Bull Racing.
“I can’t imagine this is the last that we will see or hear of Christian Horner,” Buxton stated.
“There have been rumours already this year that he was being courted by Alpine, rumours linking him to Ferrari. I think that one’s more of a stretch than the Alpine one. He’s very close with Flavio Briatore. That one would seem to be more logical for me.”
Alpine has struggled for years to find the right team principal. Since the team took over for Renault in 2021, they have had five different team principals. It seemed they had finally found the right fit with Oliver Oakes, but he had to step away to handle some personal issues.
So Alpine is desperately looking for someone to take the helm. At the moment, Flavio Briatore has taken on the duties of team principal until they can find a permanent replacement. This is where Christian Horner comes in.
Christian Horner’s impressive resume as team principal
Horner has been a part of Red Bull Racing since its inception. During this time, he has led the team to win 6 Constructors’ Championships and 8 Drivers’ Championships. He has also helped the team earn 124 race wins during his term. So there is no doubt that he knows how to lead a team to the top.
Christian, your 20-year leadership has shaped the very identity of Red Bull Racing, from ambitious newcomers to multiple World Champions.
Thank you for the memories and the milestones that will leave a lasting legacy here in Milton Keynes for generations to come 💙 pic.twitter.com/mLnkDrtI0Y
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) July 9, 2025
As Buxton mentioned, Horner already has a good relationship with Alpine’s advisor, Flavio Briatore. He has also worked with one of the Alpine drivers, Pierre Gasly. We can be almost certain that Alpine will have some conversations behind closed doors about how to approach Horner.
One other factor to consider is whether the fired team principal has a one-year gardening leave before he can join another team. Last year, when Adrian Newey announced that he would be leaving Red Bull, he had to serve a one-year gardening leave. We could see something similar for Horner as well.
