Christian Horner may be close to a return to Formula 1 less than a year after leaving Red Bull Racing. According to Sky Sports, the British executive is reportedly negotiating a possible entry into the category alongside BYD, a Chinese manufacturer considering creating the 12th team on the category’s grid.
Read more F1: Honda reveals goal after engine reliability improvement
This movement gained momentum after Horner appeared alongside Stella Li, the company’s vice president, during an event held in Cannes. According to the publication, the former Red Bull boss also met with Wang Chuanfu, BYD’s CEO.
The Chinese manufacturer has already publicly shown interest in entering Formula 1. During the China GP weekend in March, Stella Li revealed that the company held talks with the category’s CEO, Stefano Domenicali, about the possibility of entering the category, following a path similar to Cadillac’s.
Horner has been out of the paddock since July 2025, when he was dismissed from Red Bull a few days after the British GP. Since then, the Briton has been linked to different projects to return to the premier motorsport category.
Read more F1: FIA President rebuts criticism of the 2026 regulations
The possible choice of the executive to lead a completely new project is seen as natural given the history built over two decades in Formula 1. Under his command, Red Bull went from being an up-and-coming team to becoming one of the main forces on the grid.
Besides this possible negotiation with BYD, Horner has also been linked to Alpine. The Briton is reportedly in talks to take command of the French team in a possible partnership involving Otro Capital.
So far, there is no official confirmation of any agreement between Horner and the Chinese manufacturer, nor about the company’s entry into Formula 1. Still, the rapprochement between the parties in Cannes has increased rumors about a possible return of the executive to F1 in a completely new project for the category.
Read more F1: Verstappen enters curious list after Nurburgring
