Formula 1 Rumor: Audi 'not an option' for Horner

(GMM) A brief rumor that another option had emerged for the newly-sacked former Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner (pictured) has been shot down.

Although the Formula 1 world is still in shock about Red Bull’s mid-season move, Germany’s Bild newspaper has the details about how the 51-year-old learned his fate.

“Horner’s Red Bull career ended in a luxury London hotel,” the report claims, with shareholders Mark Mateschitz and Chalerm Yoovidhya delivering the news together with Dr Helmut Marko and Oliver Mintzlaff.

Mintzlaff, the new Red Bull CEO, was the “mastermind” of the operation, and “weighed the decision for weeks”.

The saga, however, began long before that, when Mateschitz’s father and Red Bull co-founder Dietrich died in October 2022. “Horner began taking over more and more of Mateschitz’s responsibilities,” Bild said.

Horner’s fate then appeared to have been sealed by July 2, when both Yoovidhya and Max Verstappen failed to turn up to his annual clay pigeon shooting event.

Verstappen withdrew with a stomach complaint, Bild claims.

The terms of Horner’s severance payment are currently being negotiated, but it is believed he is free to sign up with a rival team.

“There’s an open secret,” Ferrari insider Leo Turrini wrote in Quotidiano Nazionale. “Horner recently turned down two offers from Ferrari.

“Will there be a third?”

Corriere della Sera newspaper believes Ferrari is “no longer interested” in Horner, making a Flavio Briatore-Horner union at Alpine – possibly involving team shares – a more likely scenario.

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing and Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine F1 on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 25, 2025 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool /

Horner to Cadillac seems to be a possibility, but also briefly rumored this week is that Audi could be interested in the Briton for its new works F1 project.

“Horner is not an option at Audi,” Bild newspaper insists. “The future of the long-time Red Bull team boss remains uncertain.”

What is clear is that Horner’s replacement at Red Bull is Laurent Mekies, the respected former Ferrari and FIA official who is internally promoted from the second team Racing Bulls.

The Frenchman will therefore oversee the last couple of in-season developments for the 2025 car at the forthcoming Belgian and Hungarian grands prix.

“We have to show Max (Verstappen) that there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” team advisor Marko said.

Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing arrives in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 05, 2025 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

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Editor’s Additions

The Four Big Red Bull Problems Mekies Must Fix

Keeping Max Verstappen – without the greatest driver in F1 history, Red Bull is nothing
What to do with Yuki Tsunoda – Honda-backed Tsunoda will likely lose his Red Bull seat when Honda exits the team at the end of the season
The Enginning Brain Drain – The team has lost the two best designers in F1 – Rob Marshall and Adrian Newey. Their replacement, Pierre Wache, has produced a dog of a car that only the talented Verstappen can drive fast.
The team’s 2026 drivers – Once Max Verstappen announces he has signed with Mercedes (rumored), and Tsunoda has been let go, it is expected Red Bull will announce Isack Hadjar and Arvind Lindblad as its drivers for 2026…..unless Verstappen replaces George Russell at Mercedes, in which case Russell is expected to replace Verstappen at Red Bull.