F1 insider reveals Red Bull unease about possible Christian Horner-led team

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Red Bull

F1 insider reveals Red Bull unease about possible Christian Horner-led team

Christian Horner Racing, can you image?

Originally written by Kerry Violet.

Friday 17 April 2026 23:00

An F1 insider has highlighted growing unease within Red Bull Racing over the possibility of a new outfit linked to Christian Horner.

Horner’s departure from Red Bull in July 2025 sent shockwaves through the paddock and the team’s Milton Keynes base, marking the end of a long and successful tenure.

Having become the youngest team principal in F1 history when he took charge of Red Bull in 2005, Horner is now widely believed to be exploring options for a return to the grid in a new capacity.

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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.

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 even starting his own F1 team.

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."

F1 Red Bull Christian Horner Oliver Mintzlaff