SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner made a statement return to the Formula 1 paddock at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, almost exactly a year after he was fired following last year's race.
Horner has been linked with numerous teams over the past year and said in comments published Sunday that he would only join a team he thought could win in F1.
“I'd only come back for the right thing, because at the end of the day, I want to win and I want to be with winners,” he told the Times of London. “There's no point in just to come back for the sake of a job.”
In January, Alpine said Horner was among a group of investors interested in buying a stake in the team. Last year, then-Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell said Horner was “ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment.”
Horner was removed as Red Bull team principal in July 2025 after 20 years and eight F1 drivers' titles, at a time when Red Bull had struggled to keep up with the then-dominant McLaren team.
Horner indicated to the Times that the terms of his departure from Red Bull had restricted his options but that he was now "technically a free agent.”
In 2024, Horner was accused of misconduct toward a team employee.
An investigation conducted on behalf of the Red Bull company dismissed the allegation, as did a further investigation conducted after the employee appealed against the initial ruling, Red Bull said at the time.
Horner remained in charge of the F1 team throughout the entire process.
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Christian Horner on the grid before the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, England, Sunday July 5, 2026. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Christian Horner on the grid before the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, England, Sunday July 5, 2026. (David Davies/PA via AP)
