Christian Horner reveals surprising job offers to take him away from Red Bull

Sam Cooper 17 Dec 2023 2:15 PM

Christian Horner is the longest serving team principal in the paddock.

Christian Horner has revealed he has had job offers to leave Red Bull and not just from other Formula 1 teams.

After 17 years at Red Bull and 13 titles, Horner has proven himself as one of F1’s best team principals but it appears some other sporting entities believe those skills are transferable.

Discussing his future, Horner said he had received job offers from teams outside of F1 but suggested his loyalties lie in Milton Keynes.

Christian Horner reveals unusual job offerings away from F1

Horner kept it coy as to just which sports he was referring to but he suggested it was outside the realm of racing.

“I’ve had offers coming in in the past to get involved in other sports or in other entities but at heart I’m a racer,” Horner told Sky Sports. “I love what I do and I have a commitment and responsibility for the team having been there since the beginning.”

Despite being the longest-serving member on the current grid, Horner is still one of the youngest team principals with only Williams’ James Vowles born after him.

But Horner continues to find new ways to be motivated and his current focus is on the “biggest challenge” of Red Bull being its own independent power unit supplier from 2026.

“As the second youngest team principal in Formula 1, I’ve still got a few years left in me and my motivation is still sky high,” the 50-year-old said.

“With Red Bull Powertrains coming in 2026, it is by far the biggest challenge that I’ll have in my time in Formula 1 so it still motivates me to get out of bed every day and I’m excited every day that I go to work.”

Horner is one of the best-placed members of the F1 paddock to speak about how much the sport has changed since he arrived, most notably in recent years with its surge in popularity.

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The Red Bull boss also joked that he is now more famous than his wife and Spice Girl Geri Horner née Halliwell.

“It’s changed my life significantly,” Horner said of his time in the sport. “I used to be very recognised within a Formula 1 paddock now I’m recognised in a whole host of places.

“It used to be my wife at immigration that would get stopped as we’re going into the US but now people say ‘oh, you’re the guy out of Drive to Survive?’

“So it is different but it’s fantastic. It’s always great to meet the fans and meet people who are so interested in Formula 1.”