Christian Horner breaks silence on F1 return during first paddock appearance since Red Bull sacking

Former Red Bull team principal and chief executive Christian Horner has discussed what needs to happen for him to return to Formula 1 ahead of the British Grand Prix while also answering questions on working with three specific teams.

Horner, who worked at Red Bull for two decades before being relieved of his duties after the 2025 British Grand Prix, guided the team to eight Drivers' Championships and six Constructors' Championships.

However, he officially left Red Bull in July, agreeing to a multi-million-pound exit package, with reports suggesting the figure was close to the £75 million mark – a reduced amount that would allow him to return to the sport after a shorter period.

On Sunday (July 5), Horner made his first appearance in the Formula 1 paddock since his Red Bull exit ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

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As expected, Horner was asked about a potential return to the sport by Sky Sports' Craig Slater.

"It's great to be back here at Silverstone," Horner began.

"Ultimately, I'm a fan and the British Grand Prix is in town. I've not missed one since '93, so it's good to be here."

Horner has already made it clear that he feels he has "unfinished business" in the sport and has been linked with purchasing a stake in a team – something he did not have at Red Bull.

The 52-year-old and a consortium have been linked with buying a minority stake in Alpine from investment firm Otro Capital.

Horner has also been linked with creating a 12th team backed by Chinese car manufacturer BYD.

"I've enjoyed my time out," Horner added while speaking at Silverstone.

"I did 20 years straight with the Red Bull guys. I was obviously doing other stuff before that, so it's the first time I've ever had a bit of time to get off the hamster wheel.

"But for me, I'd only look at doing the right thing, something that really had an opportunity to win at the end of the day."

Horner discusses links with F1 teams at British GP

Slater then asked several questions about which team Horner could potentially end up at.

When pressed on Aston Martin, Horner responded: "It's a great British brand. It's sad to see them really struggling as they are.

"But there's so much speculation. One week it's Aston, the next it's Alpine, the next it's somewhere else.

"I wish them all well today."

Then, when questioned on Alpine, he added: "The main thing is F1 is in such a great place. The racing has been superb this year, sitting back and watching it from behind the scenes.

"The interest in F1 is sky-high. There's so much interest from people who want to get involved in Formula 1, so we will see. I'm in no rush."

Finally, Horner was asked about potentially being involved with the BYD-backed 12th team, saying: "Well, again, there's just so much interest in Formula 1. BYD are a huge entity and a huge company.

"There's so much speculation. I think I've been linked with every team on the grid so far. I'm just here to enjoy the race. I'm here as a fan today."

Will Christian Horner return to F1? 📸👀 pic.twitter.com/2Ku70tJLyZ

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 5, 2026