Christian Horner makes paddock appearance as ex-F1 boss 'explores' return options

Christian Horner

Christian Horner makes paddock appearance as ex-F1 boss 'explores' return options

Horner's gardening leave has reportedly come to an end

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 21 May 2026 09:12

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Axed F1 boss Christian Horner has returned to the Monaco paddock and was interviewed on the grid during Formula E's race around the principality.

The former Red Bull team principal was axed from the team last summer and has since served a period of gardening leave, which reportedly came to an end in May.

Horner's comeback has been a frequent topic of speculation since his exit in July last year, but the team who have persisted through the F1 rumour mill is Alpine.

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Otro Capital are expected to sell their 24 per cent share in the team, and with Horner looking for a degree of ownership within his next enterprise, Enstone has emerged as the most likely destination.

This narrative received a recent twist, however, when Horner attended an event hosted by Chinese automotive brand BYD at Cannes.

Horner reportedly met with BYD's CEO Wang Chuanfu; pertinent after vice president Stella Li revealed they had hosted talks with Stefano Domenicali and are interested in entering Formula 1.

While Horner's future remains undecided, and he continues to explore various options of return, the former team boss confirmed he's out of hibernation for good after he made an appearance at a recent race.

Horner's appearance in Formula E paddock

In April, Horner made a surprise visit to the MotoGP paddock in Jerez, alongside F1 CEO and president Domenicali.

Once again, Horner has popped up in an unexpected arena, and was in attendance at Formula E's Monaco E-Prix last weekend.

The former F1 boss was interviewed on the grid on Saturday by Nicki Shields and Jamie Chadwick, alongside pole-sitter Dan Ticktum. Horner and Ticktum have motorsport history, with the British driver being part of the Red Bull junior team from 2017 until 2019.

In his interview with Shields and Chadwick, Horner remained tight-lipped on Formula 1, but did express his interest in learning about the all-electric series and their Gen 4 cars.

"It's really nice being at a race where you have absolutely no pressure, so I really don't care who wins," Horner said on the grid.

"I'm just going to enjoy the weekend and learn a little more about this championship, it's a great opportunity to see other forms of motorsport."

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