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What is Christian Horner doing after F1 axe?
A former Red Bull F1 employee has revealed insights into what occurs when key team members like Christian Horner and Adrian Newey depart from the organization.
The talk in F1 circles currently revolves around not only ‘where’ Horner might re-enter the sport, but also ‘when’ this comeback would take place.
Following his departure from Red Bull in July 2025, the 52-year-old Horner has expressed his intentions to stage a return; however, he emphasized in a recent interview that his actions are restricted until the spring.
The term ‘gardening leave’ is often used in F1 contexts, indicating a period during which a departing employee is barred from working, likely to prevent sharing of confidential information with rival teams.
Former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey announced his exit in May 2024 before eventually assuming a role at Aston Martin in March 2025, underscoring the impact of gardening leave on the continuity of technical contributions to a team’s car development.
Gardening leave challenges faced by F1 teams have been discussed by figures like Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, who highlighted the significant delays in seeing results tied to a new hire, emphasizing a timeline of two to three years for tangible outcomes in the sport.
Calum Nicholas, a former Red Bull mechanic, provided additional insight on F1 employees’ transitions between teams, mentioning the reliance on non-disclosure agreements and gardening leave as mechanisms to safeguard confidential information and mitigate immediate impact on team performance.
Dan Fallows, Red Bull’s Technical Director who switched to Aston Martin in 2022, emphasized that turnover among F1 team members is common, with personal career advancement often driving individuals to switch teams, as exemplified by former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley’s transition to Audi as team principal.
