F1 insider shares Red Bull fears over 'Christian Horner Racing' team

Horner, Mintzlaff, social — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

F1 insider shares Red Bull fears over 'Christian Horner Racing' team

Christian Horner Racing, can you imagine?

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 16 April 2026 19:43

An F1 insider has touched on a major worry at Red Bull concerning a 'Christian Horner Racing' team.

The British F1 boss was sacked from his team principal role with the energy drink giants in July 2025, sending shockwaves through the paddock and Red Bull's Milton Keynes headquarters.

Horner made history as the youngest F1 team principal when he was selected to lead the new squad as they entered the pinnacle of motorsport in 2005, but now finds himself looking for a way back onto the grid.

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Following his shock exit last season, Horner has been linked to multiple teams, with the Englishman himself admitting he would only come back to the sport for the right opportunity.

Initially it appeared as if Alpine was the best option for the ex-Red Bull boss to return to the grid, with reports spreading that Horner was interested in Otro Capital's 24 per cent stake in the Enstone-based team.

Even his friend and Alpine executive Flavio Briatore confirmed negotiations were ongoing, but then it emerged that Mercedes were also interested in the same share.

Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff has denied any intent on Mercedes' part to block Horner’s return, with the Brit likely eager to take his time to evaluate his options before committing to a new challenge, or perhaps starting his own F1 team.

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Were Red Bull against 'Christian Horner Racing'?

Though the 52-year-old has two decades of experience in an F1 leadership role, Sky Sports presenter and motorsport insider Simon Lazenby has suggested that having Horner as the face of the team was something Red Bull GmbH CEO Oliver Mintzlaff was strongly against.

Speaking on the latest episode of the F1 Show, Lazenby theorised over the reason for Horner's departure and the type of F1 team Red Bull may be trying to reinvent themselves into after his exit.

Lazenby said: "Quick one on Red Bull, I mean, Oliver Mintzlaff, it feels to me like it's becoming more and more corporate. I think what they worried about was Christian Horner Racing, wasn't it?

"That was the title that they said, it's definitely moving towards what they're trying to do with their football empire as well, and whether or not that's working, they feel like a team in transition, stroke on the fall."

In a rare interview with Dutch media months on from Horner's Red Bull sacking, Mintzlaff pointed to the need for change as the reason for the leadership reshuffle.

"I'm not a so-called hire-and-fire manager, someone who just fires people," the German said back in December.

"Christian has a fantastic track record with the team and achieved a great deal of success. Everyone here at the company, myself included, appreciates him for what he's done. But this is also part of a professional organisation. You can't keep relying on history, and we felt it was time to turn the page and start a new chapter. That wasn't an easy decision, but we didn't make it overnight either."

Assessing Red Bull's struggle to hit the ground running in F1 2026 after Horner's departure, Lazenby concluded: "When you think they're only two points ahead of the Racing Bulls. They're behind Alpine and Haas, that’s as good as disastrous for a team the size of Red Bull."

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Red Bull Christian Horner Oliver Mintzlaff