Jacques Villeneuve says any top team should be on the phone to Christian Horner. Now that the former Red Bull boss has finally severed every last corporate tie with Milton Keynes, Villeneuve figures the paddock’s biggest free agent won’t stay on the market for long.
Horner’s exit was the shock twist of the summer, confirmed in the aftermath of the British Grand Prix and followed by a quiet but decisive paperwork trail: his name scrubbed from Red Bull’s F1 companies in August, his departure formally rubber-stamped on September 22. The settlement numbers haven’t been confirmed, but the paddock consensus pegs it around the $100 million mark — a golden handshake befitting the architect of 14 World Championships across the drivers’ and constructors’ tallies.
“It is a big severance package,” Villeneuve said, speaking to a betting platform. “The good thing is that both parties are now free and don’t have any liabilities and can move on. That is a very good thing. Horner was a huge asset for Red Bull for many years, and he would be a great asset for any of the top teams. He is a proven winner. I’d be very curious to find out where he went next and in what capacity.”
That last bit is what has bosses whispering again in hospitality. Horner is said to be free to return before the second half of 2026, and Bernie Ecclestone — a friend and long-time ally — has floated the idea that Horner would only come back for a stake, not just a title on the letterhead. A team principal-plus, if you like. It would fit the profile: after two decades of running Red Bull like a race team and a start-up at the same time, a simple “TP” badge might feel too small.
Of course, Red Bull hasn’t exactly fallen over since the handover. Laurent Mekies was promoted from Racing Bulls to the big chair with minimal drama, and the performance graph has ticked upwards at exactly the right moment. Max Verstappen has reeled off consecutive victories at Monza and Baku to nudge himself back into the conversation for the Drivers’ Championship scrap that’s largely been McLaren orange this season, between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. It’s a long shot — but it’s Verstappen. Long shots tend to oblige.
Helmut Marko, never one to undersell a change once it’s made, sounds perfectly content with the new order. “I think that was the right decision,” he told ServusTV, noting that in the complexity of modern F1, having a technician at the top “is probably the better solution” with everything built from the technical side down.
There’s also the constructors’ picture to consider. Red Bull’s revival has dragged it back into range of P2, with Mercedes now just 18 points up and seven rounds on the calendar. Yuki Tsunoda’s P6 in Baku was part of that swing — the kind of low-drama, high-value Sunday that decides where the prize money lands in November.
As for Horner, it’s hard to see him fading into consultancy purgatory. He’s 51, he’s wealthy, he’s motivated, and he’s spent a career turning commercial clout and technical firepower into a winning culture. You don’t bin that skillset in a sport where leadership churn is as much a theme as tyre degradation. The question isn’t whether there’s a fit. It’s which boardroom is willing to make room at the top.
Villeneuve, who’s never been shy with a take, is keeping it simple this time. Horner wins. He’ll win again. And if the timeline to 2026 is accurate, the next phase of his story could intersect with F1’s new engine regs, fresh balance sheets, and a whole crop of ambitious owners who like the sound of immediate credibility. If Ecclestone’s shareholder idea gains traction, it narrows the field — but it also makes the potential landing spots that much more intriguing.
In the meantime, Red Bull’s Mekies era is gathering pace, Verstappen’s surge has given the title fight a new subplot, and the team’s internal noise has dialed down to a hum. Whether that’s a new normal or a useful calm before another storm, we’ll find out soon enough. The sport has moved on — but it hasn’t forgotten. And everyone knows Christian Horner doesn’t sit still for long.
[Image: Christian Horner and Jacques Villeneuve at Zandvoort, 2025]
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