CHRISTIAN HORNER continues to flirt with a return to Formula One, with speculation rife over his potential next team.
, 52, was sacked as Red Bull’s team principal just after the British Grand Prix in July 2025, with accounts revealing he was handed a £67million payout as compensation for loss of office.
However, the , even after admitting he is “at peace” with his new lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of the F1 piranha club.
He has been linked with a number of teams since being booted out of the motorsport.
It is understood Horner is keen to become a team co-owner, in his own words saying he wants to be able to “turn the lights on”
One team Horner has been in talks with is French manufacturer Alpine, formerly .
Horner has also been linked with the likes of , but has continued to downplay the suggestion, while have also steadily been linked with the former Red Bull CEO and team principal.
Speaking to Sky Sports about his future, he addressed the Alpine rumours head on, saying: “You’ve got 11 teams currently in F1. The value of those teams have all increased dramatically.
“If the right opportunity in a team existed, I’d certainly consider it seriously.
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“Right here, right now, I don’t see that at Alpine. All of those teams should be striving to win, and obviously they’re all very different in character and make-up.
“If the opportunity opens up, I’ll certainly look at it very strongly. But if I don’t, then I’m comfortable with that.”
During the start of his book tour in York on Saturday, which SunSport were in attendance for, Horner said of Ferrari and the pressure on Scuderia chief Fred Vasseur: “There was this Ferrari rumour that came out the other day. I tried to be polite to the Ferrari brand.
“I said, ‘You have to understand with Ferrari, it’s the biggest brand in . It’s different to the other teams. It’s been there since the beginning, and there’s an aura around Ferrari. It’s a privilege if you’re a driver or an engineer. It’s the dream of so many drivers and people.’
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“So that I felt bad for Fred, because suddenly, you know, obviously he was under a lot of pressure.”
He added to Sky Sports: “I did feel very sorry for him [Vasseur] with the speculation it created because it came out of an interview about a month prior to when it was released, and it coincided, I think, with comments that were made at the track with a couple of the drivers.
“It kind of ran away with itself. I was trying to be respectful to Ferrari and say that it’s different to other teams and it has a different standing in the sport.
“Having led a competitive team and knowing the scrutiny it creates, I felt sorry for Fred that it did it did create that much that much scrutiny and that much coverage at a time that obviously they were having a bit of a hard time.”
Horner led Red Bull to six World Constructors’ Championships and eight drivers’ titles – four under and four under .
Yet Horner openly spoke about previous talks he held to sign the likes of and , though neither came to fruition.
Horner, who is married to Spice Girl , joked in his Sky Sports interview old rival and chief, , had been finding it “easier” without him around.
F1 returns this weekend with the US Grand Prix in Texas, where could become the youngest driver to ever win the F1 title.
