Christian Horner approaches F1 team to ask for a job

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has revealed that Christian Horner has approached the F1 team he previously considered a rival, asking for a job.

After 20 years at the helm of Red Bull, Horner was sacked and replaced with immediate effect following the 2025 British GP, with ex-Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies taking his place.

But it actually took the Milton Keynes-based squad until September to agree the terms of Horner's payoff, with reports surfacing last month of a multi-million pound settlement and a gardening leave period that allows him to return to the paddock next season.

Following his official exit from Red Bull, rumours spread of Horner's interest in joining Haas F1 team, with the 51-year-old thought to be on the lookout for a role at CEO level.

Haas delivers Horner job verdict

As the sport returned to the paddock this week for the first time since these rumours surfaced, The Race put the question to Komatsu over whether there was any truth to them.

"It’s true that he approached us and one of our guys had an exploratory, let's say, talk," Komatsu said ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

"But that was it. Nothing's going any further. I’ve got nothing more to say on that one," he concluded.

Horner is thought to have been eyeing up a position with Haas that could have granted him more autonomy over the squad rather than having to report to brand owners like he did at Red Bull, but Gene Haas is reportedly not open to selling any part of his shareholding.

With Haas seemingly unfit to hand Horner his F1 comeback, his most likely option for a potential return to the sport in 2026 appears to be with Alpine, although he is also thought to have been evaluating the idea of setting up a 12th F1 team in the years to come with the help of private backers.

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