F1 reunion? How Christian Horner and Helmut Marko could reconnect after Red Bull star lands new role

Dr. Helmut Marko and Christian Horner — Photo: © IMAGO

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Red Bull reunion? How Christian Horner and Helmut Marko could reconnect after ex-F1 star lands new role

How ex-Red Bull F1 stars Horner and Marko could link up again

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 27 April 2026 21:16

It's been nine months since Christian Horner's shock sacking from the Red Bull Formula 1 team, but the Brit could be allowed back into the paddock as early as next month.

Horner is said to be officially permitted to return to F1 from May 2026 following the Red Bull fallout, but the 52-year-old has made it clear he is in no rush to pick a new team.

Since his F1 departure in July 2025, Horner has often spoken of his demands to acquire a significant shareholding position in any team he signs with, looking for a deal similar to the one Toto Wolff boasts in his position as Mercedes F1 CEO and team principal.

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Despite being linked to what feels like every team in the paddock as he weighs up his F1 return options, Horner spent last weekend at the MotoGP race in Jerez as an official guest of F1 president Stefano Domenicali and Liberty Media.

Liberty Media are responsible for giving F1 the Drive to Survive treatment and having recently acquired Dorna Sports, the exclusive commercial and broadcasting rights holder of MotoGP, they could now be looking to do the same for the two-wheeled championship.

But what is even curiouser than Horner's sudden interest in the premier motorcycling championship is the fact that former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is also looking to boost the global appeal of MotoGP thanks to his new role.

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Horner's hunt for new opportunities, Marko never retired

Over the past year, Red Bull have suffered a number of big name losses within their F1 ranks.

Even prior to Horner's summer sacking, the energy drink giants had started to become a shell of the team who picked up back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

But the end of Red Bull's dominant era was confirmed when Helmut Marko, the iconic Red Bull advisor who was responsible for signing the team's star driver and now four-time champion Max Verstappen, 'retired' from the outfit at the end of last year.

Many conflicting stories regarding Marko's exit have done the rounds, but the Austrian himself stated that Verstappen's loss in the drivers' championship by just two points in 2025 was a catalyst for his exit.

Both Marko and Horner built Red Bull into the most dominant team in F1 at one stage, an impressive feat considering the team came from humble beginnings and the ashes of Jaguar.

And despite Marko saying he would no longer be involved in F1 aside from occasionally tuning into a race weekend from home, Laurent Mekies (Horner's F1 replacement) has revealed that the Austrian is actually in frequent contact with his proteges and Red Bull's driver lineup.

On top of this, the 83-year-old has landed a new role since his Red Bull exit and now holds the title of ambassador for the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, the home of the Austrian Grand Prix.

And it is this position that could see him reunite with Horner.

How MotoGP could bring Horner and Marko back together

Following Horner's MotoGP trip in April 2026, an article from The Times revealed: "It is understood the primary reason for Horner’s visit was to get a sense of whether he could be interested in working in the sport."

Though his history within F1 may make things difficult to return to the paddock, Liberty Media would surely enjoy welcoming a big motorsport name to MotoGP just in time for their takeover and rockstar rebranding of the championship.

Where Marko is concerned, his role at the Red Bull Ring not only means he will be making an appearance at this year's F1 Austrian GP but will also be tasked with overseeing other events at the track such as the MotoGP race there in September.

In a recent interview discussing his new role and passion for MotoGP, Marko told Oe24: "I hope I can help to boost interest – particularly in the MotoGP race at the Red Bull Ring. I’m a big fan of MotoGP."

So who knows? Perhaps a Red Bull reunion could be on the cards for the former F1 big hitters with a future linkup in the MotoGP paddock.

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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 Helmut Marko Austrian Grand Prix MotoGP