Report: Christian Horner plotting 1.5bn F1 comeback bid

Christian Horner could make a dramatic return to Formula 1 by fronting a new or purchased team valued at more than £1.5bn pounds, according to a report in The Times.

The London newspaper claims the former Red Bull boss has been approached by a group of wealthy investors “eager to collaborate”, giving him potential funding to acquire a team, though not one of the sport’s four most expensive operations.

Horner, 51, is reportedly unwilling to take on another team-principal role, preferring ownership control after his exit from Red Bull. He has also ruled out a full-time move to Italy despite persistent Ferrari speculation.

The Times adds that Horner will be free to return to the paddock from April 2026 following his contract settlement, and that neither FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem nor F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali would oppose his comeback. The paper concludes that Horner “could come back with more power than ever before.”

Meanwhile, Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt linked Red Bull’s recent “tape-gate” incident in Austin to the team’s tougher Horner-era mentality, after a mechanic tore down Lando Norris' grid marker tape before the start.

"If you have to resort to these kinds of tactics, it's really quite a shame," he said. "I don't know what that mechanic was thinking.

"Laurent Mekies isn't really someone who would order this. He's actually very sporting. He hasn't been at Red Bull long, at least not with the main team, so maybe these are old habits."

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, meanwhile, believes Horner’s return to Formula 1 is only a matter of time. "It's clear that when someone like him leaves, all you can think about is that he'll come back," Wolff said. "The world moves on quickly. I believe he will come back, but when and where? I don't know.

"Maybe he became too much of a personality within his team. A person should be able to look at themselves in the mirror every night and say: 'Have I been a bit of an idiot today?' That kind of self-reflection keeps your feet on the ground when you're winning races and the cameras are rolling."