Christian Horner has been the figurehead at Red Bull Racing since its inception in 2005. His absence will leave a void at one of Formula One’s frontrunning teams.
Horner was relieved of his duties as Red Bull F1 CEO on Wednesday in a shock announcement. The 51-year-old won six constructors’ and eight drivers’ titles with the team but fell out with sections of senior management towards the end of his tenure.
Laurent Mekies, formerly of Ferrari and the FIA, has been promoted from his role of team principal at sister Racing Bulls to replace Horner at the main Red Bull team. Horner is still technically an employee at Red Bull while a substantial payoff is negotiated, given his five-year contract.
But what could be on the horizon next for Horner, who at 51 still has many years ahead of him in the sport he loves? If he wants to remain in F1, that is.
The Independent takes a look at six options for the axed F1 boss:
Ferrari
This would be the most high-profile team principal “move” in F1 history.
Ferrari chair John Elkann is a known admirer of Horner, and the Englishman was linked to the Scuderia – amid question marks surrounding under-pressure team boss Fred Vasseur – only last month.
“It’s always flattering being associated with other teams, particularly teams like Ferrari,” Horner said of the rumours in June. “But no, I’m not going anywhere … I’ve been here [Red Bull] 21 years and don’t have any intention of being anywhere else.”
But what about now? Much depends on Ferrari’s form in the second half of the season. Vasseur is a man with a point to prove, given that the Scuderia are yet to win a race and star signing Lewis Hamilton has not claimed a podium in his first 12 races.
If Ferrari’s form continues to plummet, could Elkann make a big-money swoop? Horner obviously comes with a fair bit of baggage and would likely have to relocate his wife Geri and their family to Maranello in Italy, which seems like a big snag.
But the lure of the sport’s most fabled team is tough to turn down. Tougher still with no Red Bull-sized obstacle in the way.
Alpine
“Twenty years at the top says it all, a competitor on the track but also a friend off track,” said Alpine kingmaker Flavio Briatore, in tribute to Horner on Instagram on Wednesday. “Wishing you all the best on your next adventure.”
Could that next adventure be Alpine? The Enstone-based team – close to Horner’s home in rural Oxfordshire – are technically in need of a formal team principal. Someone with experience in launching a team to the front of the grid. Horner definitely ticks that box.
It would be quite the undertaking for Horner. Alpine are using Mercedes engines from next year – Horner in partnership with Toto Wolff, that would be quite something – and are in disarray with their second driver at the moment. That is an issue Horner knows all too well.
At present, however, should Horner want a quick return to the F1 paddock, Alpine feels the most obvious route.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is an ambitious man. His lofty sights persuaded Adrian Newey to join the Silverstone-based outfit this year, with an eye on next year’s change of regulations.
Horner and Newey remained amicable throughout the star designer’s exit last year. A reunion is not completely unfathomable.
The bigger issue for Aston, should they target Horner, is their known pursuit of Max Verstappen. Given the Dutchman’s dad, Jos, was keen to see the back of Horner at Red Bull, it is highly unlikely a driver-team boss reunion could occur in British racing green.
FIA
The role of F1 chief executive is currently held by ex-Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali; the Italian is well liked and has a contract in place until 2029.
But how about the sport’s highly criticised governing body? It is too late for Horner to launch a bid to become FIA president at the end of the year, with Tim Mayer running against divisive incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
However, a role within the F1-sphere of the FIA may be handy to get the organisation on a level footing again. That being said, it would not get Horner’s ultra-competitive juices flowing.
TV/media
Throughout his time at Red Bull, Horner was a master at controlling the narrative in front of the TV cameras and in the press room with journalists. It is an area of the job in which he excelled.
With forthright opinions and amusing soundbites in abundance, Horner would arguably be a coup for Sky Sports or any other broadcaster keen to employ him.
Though a “marmite” figure among the sport’s fanbase, Horner’s role as a pantomime villain on Netflix’s Drive to Survive shows how people engage with the content he provides, even if they disagree with his sentiments. Again, though, his instincts for winning would be curtailed.
Nothing
At least until the end of this season, it feels likely that Horner will take a step back from the sport.
The 51-year-old famously never missed a race in 20 years. With a young family, Horner is likely to spend some well-earned time away from F1, watching the season’s trials and tribulations from afar.
Don’t be surprised if he’ll be plotting, however, for his next route back into the globetrotting circus he adores.
