Christian Horner’s huge $100m Red Bull settlement; F1 return update – roundup

Elizabeth Blackstock 22 Sep 2025 10:00 PM

Christian Horner on the gird at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner on the grid at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix

The dust is still settling on 2025’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which could very well serve as a major turning point this season, and there’s plenty to talk about.

These are the major headlines from the F1 news space, all compiled in one easy place.

F1 news: Is a Christian Horner F1 return imminent?

Following his surprise sacking after the British Grand Prix, questions have lingered about what’s next for former Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner. Now, we may have an answer.

Horner and Red Bull have announced that they’ve now officially parted ways after 20 years, and PlanetF1.com understands that the two have reached a $100 million settlement as part of a deal that would enable him to return to the Formula 1 space as early as the latter half of the F1 2026 season.

F1 news: Yuki Tsunoda makes pitch for Red Bull future

Yuki Tsunoda’s future at Red Bull Racing is not assured, with the team holding off on inking any contracts (aside from Max Verstappen’s) in an effort to identify the best candidates for both the top-tier team and the sister outfit, Racing Bulls.

But following a season-best P6 finish in Baku following an overall more promising weekend, Tsunoda feels he’s put himself in a strong position to secure a new contract.

New team principal Laurent Mekies agrees, saying that the team was looking to have a “clean sample” with which to evaluate Tsunoda’s performance — i.e., a weekend free of incidents, mechanical issues, etc.

More 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix analysis:

👉 Winners and losers from the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

👉 Azerbaijan GP conclusions: Piastri SOS, Lando’s big problem, Max’s post-Horner wavelength

F1 news: Toto Wolff’s teasing Williams message after Sainz podium

Williams team principal James Vowles saw driver Carlos Sainz secure the team’s first podium under his tenure over the weekend, prompting Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff to tease the man who formerly worked for the Brackley-based marque.

“Lucky bastard!” Wolff wrote on a gift bag delivered to Williams hospitality after the race. “Congrats on your first podium as a TP.”

F1 news: What really happened with Ferrari’s late race team orders

In the closing stages of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Ferrari requested that Lewis Hamilton cede his P8 position to Charles Leclerc, only for Hamilton to cross the line ahead of his teammate.

Team principal Fred Vasseur offered a full explanation of the moment, including why the Scuderia requested its drivers swap positions in the first place and why the end of the race turned into a head-scratcher.

F1 news: How an ill George Russell still scored P2

On Friday morning, George Russell was still unsure if he’d be fit to contest the Azerbaijan Grand Prix considering he was being wracked by a nasty respiratory infection. Yet a few turns behind the wheel convinced him that competing was possible.

That has as much to do with Russell’s tenacity as it does with Mercedes’ impressive strategy, and a deep dive by PlanetF1.com’s data team has revealed exactly how the Briton transformed a difficult weekend into one worth celebrating.

F1 news: Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz set to swap positions?

Those were the rumors emerging after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which saw Carlos Sainz turn his second-place start into a third-place finish for the Williams team, leaving many to wonder if perhaps Sainz could net a promotion to Mercedes, with rookie Kimi Antonelli moved to Williams as a way to continue evolving as a driver.

But Sainz has claimed that those rumors are just that: rumors. And he’s offered a full explanation as to why.