Christian Horner announces ‘exciting’ new venture ahead of 2026 F1 season

The former Red Bull F1 boss, who was dismissed from his role last summer, is eyeing a route back into the sport

Christian Horner has announced a speaking tour in Australia ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

The former Red Bull F1 boss, who was sacked last summer after leading the team for 20 years since its inception, received a reported £80m pay-off as part of the terms of his exit.

Horner, 52, can return to the sport from this spring and is eyeing a route back into the paddock, with French team Alpine the most likely destination.

However, a week before the 2026 season starts in Australia on 8 March, the British executive is embarking on a new challenge: a three-day speaking tour down under.

The tour, branded as “A special evening with Christian Horner”, will take place in Melbourne (24 February), Sydney (26 February) and Perth (2 March), with tickets on sale from next Tuesday. It is not yet known whether Horner will attend the season-opening race in person.

“These shows are an exciting opportunity for me to unpack my career so far and provide insights and perspectives on the cusp of another exciting F1 championship,” Horner said.

“Formula 1 is an extraordinary world but it’s also unforgiving and all-encompassing.

“I’m privileged to have spent a large part of my life in the centre of that furnace and I’m looking forward to sharing and reflecting on some of the big moments that have shaped who I am today.”

As well as Alpine, Horner has been linked with a move to Haas, Ferrari and Aston Martin in recent months.

Martin Brundle, one of F1’s most respected pundits who works for Sky Sports and a close confidante of Horner, stated the key condition that has to be met for Horner to return to F1.

Christian Horner will embark on a three-day speaking tour in Australia (Getty Images)

"I think the current teams in Formula 1 will be pushing hard, as will other stakeholders, to say they don't want a 12th team in Formula 1 at the moment while they're all jockeying around trying to sort the 2026 regulations out,” Brundle explained last year.

"That might be an extra hurdle for Christian. Formula 1 is his life – that's where his skills and experience lie.

“He made it absolutely clear to me when I spoke to him that he will only come back if he's got a skin in the game, if he's got a share in the team and is building something, rather than being a manager as he was with Red Bull.

Horner is married to Geri Halliwell (AFP via Getty Images)

"He couldn't get any shareholding in that. Toto Wolff is a good example of how to do that as a one-third shareholder in the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 team.

“I'm sure there'll be partners, as we like to call them, sponsors we might call them, and other people who might want to join Christian on that journey."

Horner, who is married to Geri Halliwell, lost his job at Red Bull after losing out in a power struggle where, ultimately, he lost the support of all Red Bull shareholders as well as the key group of people in the camp of star driver Max Verstappen, highlighted by the public falling out with his father, Jos, in 2024.

Alpine seems to be the most likely destination for Horner, given they are based close to his home in Oxfordshire and are led by a close friend in Flavio Briatore.