In what has been a torrid time for the former Red Bull boss, Christian Horner, Haas reportedly turned down an offer from him to form a partnership, months after he was sacked by Red Bull following a harassment
allegation last year and after disappointing results this season.
Horner, after two decades of success with Red Bull Racing, was sacked despite being a central figure, alongside Adrian Newey and Helmut Marko, in building the team into a powerhouse.
A few days ago, Red Bull and Christian Horner agreed to part ways. With multiple years remaining on his contract, the former team principal walked away with a huge $100 million payout from the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
Soon after his official exit, speculation about Horner’s return to Formula 1 surfaced, with reports linking him to a potential role at Haas.
The Race reported that Horner held exploratory talks with a senior figure close to team owner Gene Haas, but the discussions led nowhere.
“It is true that he approached us and one of our guys had an exploratory, let us say, talk. But that was it. Nothing is going any further. I have got nothing more to say on that one,” team principal Ayao Komatsu told The Race.
Two months after the shock exit of long-serving boss Horner, a calmer Red Bull team has recovered its mojo thanks to an update introduced at Monza and a revitalised Max Verstappen is the man in form.
Two straight wins in Italy and Azerbaijan, the first time he has enjoyed a double since June 2024, have lifted him to within 69 points of McLaren’s series leader Oscar Piastri with seven Grands Prix to go.
New team chief Laurent Mekies’ softer and more technical style of management is reaping rewards and improving Red Bull’s chances of retaining Verstappen beyond 2026. “Red Bull introduced a new floor at Monza,” said rival team boss Andrea Stella of McLaren.
