Christian Horner resurfaces in Scotland as Red Bull split settles — and a 2026 return stays on the table
Christian Horner has reappeared in public for the first time since his high-profile exit from Red Bull, sharing a handful of Instagram Stories from a quiet getaway in Scotland with wife Geri Halliwell. No captions, no commentary — just a low-key reset after one of the most dramatic off-track chapters F1 has seen in years.
The timing is notable. Horner’s dismissal came in the days after July’s British Grand Prix, ending more than two decades at the helm of Red Bull’s F1 operation. In August, company records showed he’d been removed as a director across the team’s racing entities; on September 22, the formal parting of ways finally landed.
The money, predictably, has done most of the talking. While no one involved has put numbers on the record, the settlement has been widely reported in the region of $100 million (£74.2m). Crucially, the compromise is understood to clear a path for Horner to return to the paddock by the second half of 2026 — the dawn of F1’s next rules cycle.
If you’re keeping score, that’s quite a pivot from a contract that had been set to run to 2030. But this sport doesn’t do tidy endings. Recent filings also underscored the scale of what Horner leaves behind: Red Bull Racing posted increased profits, and Horner’s own remuneration rose modestly year-on-year to £7.046m — a final snapshot of an era that defined the team’s modern identity.
On track, Red Bull pressed on. Laurent Mekies stepped into the team boss role and banked two wins in short order, with Max Verstappen taking back-to-back victories in Azerbaijan and Italy. It’s hardly a full verdict on the post-Horner project, but it’s steadier footing than some expected after such a seismic change.
So what now? For Horner, it’s a sabbatical of sorts — outside the paddock, watching the season from a distance and swapping hospitality suites for Highland views. For the grid, the bigger play sits in 2026. New engine rules, new aero, and a market that will inevitably loosen once the next regulation set reshapes priorities. If the settlement’s non-compete window does indeed expire mid-’26, you can be sure phones will ring.
There’s still plenty we don’t know. The scale of influence he’d want in a new role. Which teams would take on the baggage in exchange for the track record. How the next six to twelve months reshape appetites up and down the pit lane. But Horner’s Scotland sighting reads like a man lifting his head above water after the storm, not someone closing the book.
He’s kept quiet since the separation was finalized, letting the calendar shuffle on without him. Instagram Stories aren’t press conferences, but in this game they’re loud enough: he’s out, he’s decompressing, and he hasn’t disappeared. For a figure who’s been central to F1’s modern power structure, that alone will keep the rumor mill warm through winter.
For now, it’s tartan, lochs and a long runway to 2026. The next chapter can wait — but not for long.
