Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes the team’s impressive comeback during the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 season would have unfolded regardless of his departure, arguing that the foundations had already been put in place long before he left.
Christian Horner returns to the Formula 1 paddock
His appearance on the British Grand Prix grid at Silverstone certainly did not go unnoticed. Returning to the Formula 1 paddock for the first time almost exactly one year after his departure from Red Bull, Christian Horner has nevertheless remained at the centre of speculation surrounding the future direction of several teams.
Initially linked with Aston Martin, Williams, Alpine and even Ferrari—during the period of heightened tension between the Scuderia’s management and team principal Frederic Vasseur—the future of the 52-year-old Briton now appears to be split between a possible move to an Aston Martin project that has since lost momentum on the performance front and the prospect of joining a brand-new venture with Chinese automotive giant BYD.
Horner’s message to his former Red Bull team
Beyond discussions about his future, returning to Silverstone also gave Horner the opportunity to reflect on his long spell at Red Bull and defend the work carried out during the closing stages of the 2025 season. At the same time, he appeared keen to distance himself from the team’s more recent struggles, including the recurring problems with the so-called “Macarena” rear wing, which has already sent Max Verstappen off the track at high speed twice in the space of eight days, uncertainty over development, and growing tensions with the four-time world champion’s entourage as speculation continues over a possible early-exit clause in his contract.
“It usually takes between nine and 12 months to see real change in a Formula 1 team,” Christian Horner explained in an interview with The Times. “So everything that happened last year would have unfolded in exactly the same way even if I’d been hit by a bus and someone else had replaced me.”
It was a clear dig at his former team, which, just days after Laurent Mekies took over as team principal and CEO, won the Sprint Race at Spa before launching an impressive second-half comeback against Lando Norris in the championship.
Horner still sees a future in Formula 1
“I can only be judged by what I’ve achieved, so I suppose history will decide what my legacy is. But I’m not looking for compliments—I feel satisfied with what I’ve managed to accomplish,” he added.
Horner concluded by making it clear that he does not consider his Formula 1 story to be over.
“I don’t feel I have to come back. I could quite happily become a new version of Jeremy Clarkson. But there’s still a part of me that feels I haven’t finished with Formula 1 yet.”
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