Christian Horner’s next move has been revealed, with the ousted Red Bull Racing boss set to embark on an Australian speaking tour starting next month.
Horner, Red Bull Racing’s team principal from its maiden 2005 season, was axed suddenly in a boardroom coup last July following a tumultuous 18 months on and off the track.
He was formally dismissed from the company in September following a payout some reports suggested was as large as US$100 million (A$147 million).
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The Briton has gone to ground in the months since, though speculation has been rife that he’s been fundraising to buy a stake of the Alpine team for a 2026 comeback.
Horner is reportedly free to join a rival team from the second quarter of this year.
Before that, however, the 52-year-old will embark on a speaking tour that promises to lift the lid on his two decades running one of the most successful constructors in Formula 1 history.
“These shows are an exciting opportunity for me to unpack my career so far and provide insights and perspectives on the cusp of another exciting F1 championship,” Horner said.
“Formula 1 is an extraordinary world, but it’s also unforgiving and all-encompassing. I’m privileged to have spent a large part of my life in the centre of that furnace, and I’m looking forward to sharing and reflecting on some of the big moments that have shaped who I am today.”
Billed as a world-exclusive tour, Horner will appear on stage in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth in the fortnight before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 8 March.
Presale tickets will be available from 27 January, with general public access and VIP packages on sale from 29 January.
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WILL HORNER STILL RETURN TO FORMULA 1?
It has been clear from the moment of Horner’s shock sacking that he would seek a way back into Formula 1 after having led Red Bull Racing to 124 victories from 457 starts and having masterminded the team’s cumulative 14 drivers and constructors world titles.
The board decision came at a particularly cruel time for the Briton. Red Bull Powertrains, the engine division set up and driven largely by him, will make its debut this season, making Red Bull Racing a fully fledged works team for the first time in its history. Horner was also instrumental in sealing the deal on Ford’s commercial and technical partnership on the power unit program.
But his eagerness to return would have to come in the right circumstances, with reports suggesting Horner is pursuing a shareholding in his next team.
Several teams reported Horner had been investigating opportunities to buy late last year at several teams, with Aston Martin and Alpine eventually surfacing as his two most likely options.
However, Aston Martin’s owner, Lawrence Stroll, reportedly told his team in November that Horner would not be joining, leaving Alpine as the clear frontrunner.
By late December Horner had reportedly raised funds to buy a stake in the Renault-owned squad.
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported he was poised to acquire at least the 24 per cent stake currently held by a collection of North American interests led by Otro Capital, while German outlet Auto Motor und Sport reported he could acquire a majority stake.
However, a report from Planet F1 suggests the shares led by Otro Capital cannot be sold before September this year and that Renault must approve the transaction.
Renault has insisted that it is not interested in selling the Alpine team.
Horner’s Alpine plan appears to be in limbo for now.
If he were able to get the deal over the line, Horner would find himself in a business relationship with arch rival Toto Wolff, whose Mercedes team will supply Alpine with power units from this season. He will also become Pierre Gasly’s boss for a second time after having sacked the Frenchman after just half a season at Red Bull Racing.
It’s unclear whether Horner would create a role for himself alongside bombastic de facto principal Flavio Briatore or whether he would replace the Italian manager at the top of Enstone.
Any delay might allow Horner to better understand the lay of the land under new rules and reconsider his options — or for prospective teams to reconsider him as an option.
What recent months have made clear, however, is that we haven’t seen the last of Horner in Formula 1.
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