Audi has now made Christian Horner its priority for the team principal position, to replace Jonathan Wheatley, whose departure was recently made official, but how to achieve this, and in what timeframe?
Read more Jock Clear wants to believe that Ferrari can still beat Mercedes: nothing to do with 2014
After more than 20 years at the head of Red Bull Racing, Horner was sidelined in 2025 against a backdrop of declining results and internal tensions with Helmut Marko as well as the Austrian management.
His departure, formalized in September despite a contract running until 2030, was accompanied by an agreement reducing his “gardening leave” period, which is now coming to an end.
A game of musical chairs behind the scenes
The situation could lead to a complex scenario: Horner at Audi, while Wheatley would move closer to Aston Martin, potentially alongside Adrian Newey.
Audi is looking for a profile capable of structuring the team while allowing Mattia Binotto to focus on technical performance. In this light, Horner appears to be an ideal target, as he has not yet formalized his return to Formula 1.
The main obstacle, however, remains Horner’s demands. Unlike his time at Red Bull, he now wishes to join a project as a shareholder. Discussions have already taken place with Otro Capital for a stake in Alpine. But the interest from Mercedes, led by Toto Wolff – himself a shareholder in his team – has reshuffled the deck.
Read more Gianpiero Lambiase to McLaren, Andrea Stella back at Ferrari? Major moves!
The key question: power… and shares
Horner is reportedly now open to an alliance with Audi, provided he obtains extensive managerial control and a stake in the capital.
This requirement is part of a recent trend: Toto Wolff owns a significant share of Mercedes, and Lawrence Stroll has offered a stake to Adrian Newey to convince him to join Aston Martin.
Audi, which has already sold 30% of its F1 project to the Qatari fund QIA, will therefore have to decide how far it is willing to go to attract Horner.
A major strategic decision
The Horner case goes beyond the simple recruitment of a team principal: it touches on the very governance of the Audi F1 project.
If an agreement is reached, it could redefine the balance of power in the paddock, with Horner possessing both sporting power and capital influence, a combination that has become increasingly decisive at the highest level.