Christian Horner Eyes Shock F1 Return After Losing Half of £80m Payout

Christian Horner is reportedly interested in returning to Formula 1 after reaching a settlement with Red Bull.

Horner, 51, was removed as Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO back in July in a move that shocked the entire sporting world.

The Englishman was swiftly replaced by Laurent Mekies, who was promoted from sister team Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

Since Mekies took over from Horner, Red Bull have enjoyed back-to-back victories in Monza and Baku in recent weeks.

This week, it was reported that Horner and Red Bull have reached a settlement for the 51-year-old to leave the organisation.

As claimed by the Daily Mail, Horner will be paid a £80 million package after a compromise was reached to terminate his contract, which was said to be worth £110 million.

However, Horner is reportedly set to lose nearly half of his payout from Red Bull.

According to The Express, Horner's payout will be taxed at 45 per cent, which works out as £36 million.

Meanwhile, Horner is said to be looking to make a swift return to the F1 paddock.

Could Christian Horner make a swift return to F1. Image: Getty

As reported by the Daily Mail, Horner is ready for a new challenge and could be interested in joining Haas and could become their team principal and CEO, similar to the roles he held at Red Bull.

The report stated: "He would likely want equity in a team, rather than be prone to the whims of others. To be his own master. Haas, the American team, are mooted by some decent sources as a possible destination."

A source said to the publication: "He wants to come back to the F1 paddock, but he wants to assess how best to achieve that. He will do.

"He is a workaholic, and so sitting about doing nothing is not what he would choose. Indeed, he didn’t choose it. It came to him out of a blue sky."

Upon officially leaving Red Bull, Horner's statement said: "Leading Red Bull Racing has been an honour and privilege. When we started in 2005, none of us could have imagined the journey ahead – the championships, the races, the people, the memories.

"I am incredibly proud of what we achieved as a team breaking records and reaching heights no-one would ever believe were possible and I will forever carry that with me. However for me my biggest satisfaction has been assembling and leading the most amazing group of talented and driven individuals and seeing them flourish as a subsidiary of an Energy Drinks company and seeing them take on and beat some of the biggest automotive brands in the world."

He added: "I wish Laurent, Max, Yuki and all of the Red Bull Technology Group the very best for the future. I am confident they will, as ever, deliver success on the track, for our fans, and continue to push to the maximum and I look forward to seeing the first Red Bull/Ford engine in the back of RB22 next year as well as the exciting RB17 [hypercar]."