Christian Horner rumored to be eyeing a stake in Haas F1 team as part of his return to the sport

Former Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner is reportedly interested in acquiring a stake in the Haas F1 team, as he plans a return to the Formula 1 paddock. Red Bull confirmed on Monday, September 22, that the Briton has finally left the Austrian team after two decades together.

Horner's divorce from Red Bull Racing has been finalized, with the Milton Keynes-based outfit confirming this via a press release. The 51-year-old had been removed from his role as CEO and team principal back in July, but only now has left the company altogether.

Rumors surrounding his exit suggest that Horner was on a lucrative deal at Red Bull and has now accepted a severance package of around $100 million, to be paid over the next five years. There have also been reports suggesting that Horner would now be allowed to return to working in F1 as early as 2026.

According to a recent report by British outlet Daily Mail, Horner's next destination may already be set as he is now rumored to be interested in acquiring a stake in the Haas F1 team as part of his return to the sport.

It has been widely reported over the last few weeks that Horner is interested in acquiring some sort of ownership in an F1 team, rather than coming back simply as a team principal again. At the moment, Mercedes' Toto Wolff is the only team principal in the paddock who also owns a stake within the outfit.

The Haas team is owned by American businessman Gene Haas, who has never hinted at selling the F1 outfit and has even denied this possibility in the past. It remains to be seen if Horner really is interested in entering into a partnership to acquire a stake in the American team.

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Red Bull's Oliver Mintzlaff paid tribute to Christian Horner after his exit

Oliver Mintzlaff and Christian Horner at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Red Bull GmbH's CEO of Corporate Projects and New Investments Oliver Mintzlaff has shared a farewell message for Christian Horner, thanking the Englishman for his service to the company. It has been widely reported that the Austrian executive played a major role in Horner's firing in July.

But the 50-year-old thanked Horner in a statement shared via Red Bull Racing's official website on Monday.

"We would like to thank Christian for his exceptional work over the last 20 years. With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1," read Mintzlaff's statement.

"Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history," he added.

Christian Horner also thanked Oliver Mintzlaff in his statement, alongside key figures at Red Bull including the late Dietrich Mateschitz, who originally hired him at the team in 2005. Notably, senior advisor Helmut Marko, who had worked alongside Horner since day 1 at the team, was not mentioned in his statement.