Horner waived part of his payments to return to F1.
It emerged yesterday that the process of dismissing Christian Horner from Red Bull has been completed. The former team principal received a hefty compensation package — estimated at between $80 million and $100 million.
However, according to Sky Sports, Horner could have received even larger payouts but declined them in order to shorten the period of his mandatory leave to April 2026. He did this so that he could return to Formula 1 as early as next season.
"Horner agreed to take a little less money in order to be able to return to Formula 1 in 2026," Sky Sports correspondent Craig Slater said in a news bulletin. "It will not be at the very start of the year, but according to him he will be able to work or join another team before next summer. So in late spring 2026 Christian Horner may reappear on the Formula 1 scene. He still believes he can give a lot to Formula 1. He is only 51, and now that he has a bit of extra money he'll try to come back. Possibly, for Horner this is a chance to become something more than just a team principal."
According to rumors, Christian Horner could become a co-owner of the Alpine or Haas team.
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Horner waived part of his payments to return to F1.
According to Sky Sports, Christian Horner gave up part of his compensation from Red Bull in exchange for shortening the duration of his mandatory leave to April 2026.