Christian Horner has approached a Formula One team about a return to the sport – but with little success, according to reports.
Horner, husband of Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was given a massive £80million payoff by Red Bull after being brutally sacked from his long-term role as team principal back in July.
He’s been enjoying his time away, seen at an Oasis gig at Wembley (where he was booed) and heading off on road trip through the Scottish Highlands with wife Geri but it has been revealed that he misses Formula One and would be permitted to return from 2026.
The 51-year-old is already considering his options and chose to take less than the £110m that would have been available to him but would have prevented him from taking another job in the sport for years – as revealed by Daily Mail Sport’s Jonathan McEvoy.
Haas, Alpine, Ferrari and Aston Martin have all been linked with Horner, with Aston Martin having recruited Horner’s former Red Bull ally, Adrian Newey after 19 years working together.
And Horner has already been in talks with one particular team – but those talks fell apart after just one meeting, according to the team principal via AutoSport.
Christian Horner has approached a Formula One team about a return to the support, according to a member of the team
Horner received an £80million pay put after being sacked by Red Bull back in July
Haas’ Ayao Komatsu has revealed that Horner apparently sounded out the American side over a role just months after his Red Bull exit.
‘Yeah, it is true that he approached us,’ Komatsu said ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. ‘And then one of our guys had an exploratory talk. And that’s it. Nothing has gone any further. It is finished.’
He continued: ‘I’ve got nothing more to say. Like I said, you write whatever you want. I’m not fuelling that story.’
Horner has been strongly linked with a move to Aston Martin to link up with former right hand man Newey, but Drive to Survive cult favourite Guenther Steiner believes the pair’s acrimonious last year means Horner ending up at Aston Martin is highly unlikely.
Newey, regarded as the greatest Formula 1 designer in history, asked to leave Red Bull and was reportedly unsettled by the allegations against Horner.
Horner’s situation first came into doubt amid accusations that he acted coercively towards a female employee, claims that came to light in February 2024. He was twice cleared by KCs in internal hearings and he denied wrongdoing.
Steiner, 60, told Lottoland: ‘In the last year the problem between Adrian and Christian was one of the reasons why Adrian left Red Bull.
‘So, bringing Christian back, I don’t think that would work at the moment. I don’t think Aston Martin need Christian right now.
Haas’ Ayao Komatsu has claimed that Horner had talks about a move but that they went nowhere after one conversation
Guenther Steiner, meanwhile, has picked out one potential move that ‘won’t work’ for Horner
‘I think there was a lot of unhappiness internally, and something had to change. The change was Christian leaving, and they are just trying to go back to their glory days now.
‘With Red Bull, we could see it during the last one-and-a-half years where every race weekend there was drama, and that has gone away.
‘I think Aston Martin with the people they have in place are very well set to show what they can do under the new regulations.’
Aston F1 CEO Andy Cowell, though, has refused to rule out a reunion.
‘I think Christian has taken some time out at the moment,’ he said. ‘He’s probably enjoying time with friends and family. He loves the sport though. I wish him well with whatever he ends up doing in the future.
‘We have got a strong team. We’ve got a strong team with Adrian at the helm of the technical organisation. And we’re growing and building.
‘I think Christian’s record speaks for itself. He’s a great competitor. I guess it’s down to Christian to work out what he wants to do. I think we’ve got a strong set-up and we’re marching forward with that.’
