Christian Horner told to consider F1 2026 role that would be ‘perfect’ for him

Christian Horner is currently exploring his options ahead of a potential return to Formula 1 in 2026, with the former Red Bull team principal able to come back to the sport next year

Christian Horner has been told he would be “perfect” for a Formula 1 punditry role. The 51-year-old is currently exploring his options ahead of the 2026 season, when he will be permitted to return to the sport under the terms of his departure agreement from Red Bull following two decades at the helm.

And he has already begun making tentative moves with that goal in mind. Several team bosses, including those at Haas and Aston Martin, confirmed during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend that Horner had reached out, with suggestions that the former Red Bull chief was “ringing up pretty much every team owner”.

It’s understood Horner would only consider a team position where he’d have complete authority over decisions, meaning a buy-in would be his sole realistic route.

Until a suitable opportunity emerges to do so, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who previously collaborated with Horner at Red Bull, reckons his former colleague would be perfectly suited to television work.

He said: “I think he gets busy pretty quick, but I don’t know. I haven’t spoken with him since he left Red Bull, so I don’t know what’s in his mind, what he wants to do. Maybe he just wants to go back into it, could easily be, but maybe he’s happy to do something else.

“I mean, Christian could easily go on TV, on Sky. It’s perfect: He’s British, and he knows the sport very well. But, I think he needs to give himself a little bit of time to calm down, not to take the first opportunity, but to see around, what else is around.”

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Since his surprising departure from F1, Horner has been keeping a relatively low profile, spending more quality time with his Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell and their children. However, he has also been quietly laying the groundwork for his future plans, including confirming his first public outing of 2026.

Horner will jet off to Ireland at the end of January, coinciding with his former Red Bull team wrapping up the initial five-day testing event in preparation for the 2026 season. Instead of being present at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, he will head to Dublin for the European Motor Show, having agreed to be a keynote speaker.

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He plans to utilise his two decades of leadership experience with the team to “share insights from his record-breaking career and reflect on what is next for motorsport and mobility in a rapidly evolving landscape”.

Horner said: “Ireland has a rich motorsport heritage and I am honoured to join the inaugural European Motor Show. I look forward to engaging discussions on the future of performance, innovation and the people driving change in our sport.”