Now, here is a wild thought to digest: Christian Horner might actually be done with Formula 1 for good. As Motorsport.com reports, the former Red Bull team principal has revealed that he is in no hurry to come back to the paddock and could live quite happily without ever working in the championship again.
Horner was sacked as Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal in July 2025, which brought a definitive end to his 20 years in charge. Speaking to CBS News anchor Errol Barnett at the Autosport Business Exchange in New York on Wednesday—marking his first U.S. appearance since leaving Oracle Red Bull Racing—he laid out his current mindset.
Honestly, I have no idea. I've loved my time that I’ve done in the sport. I’m a fan of the sport. I’m a fan of Formula 1,
"To be honest with you, I’m not in any particular rush," Horner explained. "And I’m happy just sitting on the periphery at the moment, just watching, having experienced life outside of Formula 1 the last 15 months and knowing the sacrifices that it takes to win in Formula 1. For me to go back, it would have to be for the right project. The sacrifices that you need to make, the amount of time it is away, the hours it dominates your life. It would have to be with like-minded people who wanted to win."
The numbers behind his tenure speak volumes, of course. "I’ve won almost a third of the races that I’ve ever entered in Formula 1, and I wouldn’t want to go back just to take part. I’d want to go back to compete and then be in a position to invoke change. So it’d have to be something pretty compelling to convince me to go."
The Autosport Business Exchange itself returned to New York City for its second edition, gathering senior leaders from across motorsport, business, and brands at the Manhattan Motorcars showroom to examine racing's growth in America. Other panellists at the event included seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, former chairman and CEO of Formula 1 Chase Carey, General Motors' Mark Reuss, Penske's Jonathan Gibson, and NASCAR's Tim Clark.
Horner has released his autobiography, Drive. When asked if the book hinted at a potential return to the paddock, the Briton explained he would be satisfied with what he has achieved already if his time in the championship is truly done.
"Honestly, I have no idea. I've loved my time that I’ve done in the sport. I’m a fan of the sport. I’m a fan of Formula 1," he explained. "And for me, if that’s my time done in Formula 1, I’m OK with that. I’m proud of what I did, and I feel privileged to work with who I did, but there’s still a competitive desire within me. And if the right opportunity presented itself, under the right conditions, then I would be prepared to go back, but it would have to be with people who wanted to win at the end of the day. I wouldn’t want to go back just to take part. That just has no appeal to me."
