What Christian Horner is doing now as new F1 return route brought up after Red Bull axe

Simon Lazenby has shed light on how Christian Horner has been spending his time since his shock sacking by Red Bull. He went on to name Alpine and a potential new Formula One team as ideal destinations for Horner if he returns to the sport.

Horner was suddenly dismissed as Red Bull F1's team principal in July after 20 years in the role. The 51-year-old was caught off guard by the decision, having been in charge of the team since they were formed back in 2005, leading them to eight drivers' championship and six constructors' championship titles. His exit, following the British Grand Prix, was marked by an emotional goodbye at Red Bull's Milton Keynes base, where he reportedly shed some tears. It came after months of poor racing form and internal disputes at Red Bull.

Since being replaced by Laurent Mekies, Horner has been out of the public limelight. But one person who has had the opportunity to speak to him since is presenter Lazenby, who was recently asked by Nico Rosberg what the former Red Bull boss told him when they met.

Lazenby responded: "A lot of the stuff he talked about was off the record. Now that the dust has settled a little bit and he's spending his weekends riding his horse and spending quality time with his family, which he needed to do, do we think that he will come back?"

With many across the sport believing Horner is keen to return to F1 in some capacity, there has been plenty of speculation over which team he will lend his vast expertise to. However, his return would not be straightforward due to him having limited options and being unlikely to enjoy the same power and influence with another F1 team.

Lazenby continued: "Everybody's saying he's not going to come back without a share in the team, that's an obvious thing. He's got a great relationship with [Alpine team principal] Flavio Briatore. Would he come back there?

"He's not going to go to Ferrari. He's not going to want to uproot his entire family. He's also not potentially going to have a chunk of Ferrari given to him. So does he think about [starting] a twelfth team? Will he start his own team?

"We're absolutely going to see him again. I feel like this is just an enforced hiatus. He's going to come back with a point to prove."

Rosberg agreed that Alpine would make a lot of sense as a long-term project, despite the bottom-placed team only recently announcing the appointment of Steve Nielsen as their managing director.

A move to McLaren or Mercedes appears unthinkable for the time being, while Fred Vasseur has now agreed a new multi-year contract at Ferrari. As they prepare to become F1's 11th team in 2026, Cadillac have spoken to Horner, but again, Graeme Lowdon only joined in December.