It is understood Horner would only be interested in a team role in which he would have full control of decisions, meaning a buy-in would be his only realistic option. Until a viable opportunity arises to do so, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who previously worked with Horner at Red Bull, believes his old colleague would be well-suited to TV 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.”
Horner has kept a largely low profile since his unexpected exit from F1, spending more time with his Spice Girls singer wife Geri Halliwell and their children. But he has also begun to set into motion his plans for the future, including confirmation of his first public appearance of 2026.
Horrner is set to head to Ireland at the end of January, just as his old Red Bull team will be wrapping up the first five-day testing event ahead of the 2026 season. Instead of being at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, he will be in Dublin for the European Motor Show, having signed up to be a keynote speaker.
He will use his 20 years in charge of 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.”
