“How would you introduce yourself to somebody that doesn’t know you?” I ask the man across the table.

“Christian Horner,” he says, then without pause, “somebody that used to be involved in Formula 1.”

Considering this is a man who could have truthfully responded “Commander of the Order of the British Empire” or “husband of Ginger Spice,” the choice to define himself by his past rather than present or future is hard to miss. His is a familiar name and a familiar face to even casual F1 fans. The Brit’s sharp tongue and vaguely Daniel Craig-ish visage made him a lead character of Netflix’s Drive to Survive in its first years when his Red Bull Formula 1 team was banking win after win, thanks also to the talents of people like Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey.

But no hot streak lasts forever, no matter how good you (or the people you work with) are. Horner was ejected from the team after the 2025 British Grand Prix in the wake of both a sexual harassment accusation scandal the year before and a general downturn in the team’s performance, reportedly receiving a €60 million platinum parachute in exchange for his departure from the sport.

For most, that might seem a sign from the universe to take up a hobby—say, gentleman farmer. But Horner isn’t most men. He’s still out there, orbiting F1 like a geosynchronous satellite: a long ways off but still locked above it, looking down at the whole of the world he left. As such, he’s been speaking at industry events like Sportico Invest London and the Autosport Business Exchange in New York, where I sat down with him before he went on stage.

Unsurprisingly to anyone who saw him on Drive to Survive, or at any of the 10,000 media events he did during his F1 career, Horner still has plenty to say. Even if he is trying to be polite about it.

“The racing has been entertaining, don’t get me wrong. I’m watching these races and seeing cars overtaking in Melbourne and other circuits that you don’t normally overtake at,” he says when discussing the current F1 season. “But they’re not really overtakes as opposed to ... drive-pasts.”

He is not, it seems, a particular fan of the 2026 power unit regulations that have caused consternation amongst teams and fans alike by forcing the gas-electric hybrid propulsion systems to split their output 50/50 between internal combustion-sourced and electron-derived power. Horner describes it as the biggest issue for F1 to tackle at the moment. “You would assume it would be a relatively easy fix, just to change that ratio, but it seems a little more complicated,” he says. “You hear the drivers not liking how these cars are to drive, because you’re not rewarded for driving quickly through a fast corner, for example.”

“I think they’re doing the right thing for 2030,” he adds, referring to FIA president Mohammed Ben ‌Sulayem’s plans to ditch the current hybrid V-6 powertrains for V-8 units. “I think it’s unfortunate for the current presidency because he inherited this set of regulations. So of course, he’s looking to address that for the next round of significant change to engine spec.”

The 2026 season’s power unit frustrations haven’t been all bad, at least in terms of entertainment value. They’ve played a role in keeping the constructors’ championship battle interesting, even if the driver’s championship was swept away by wunderkind Kimi Antonelli.

“It’s interesting, I think different teams have had different moments this year,” he says. “Mercedes started very strong; Ferrari then had a moment where they looked like they were gonna put a challenge together around Barcelona time—seeing Lewis [Hamilton] win his first race, Charles [Leclerc] winning at Silverstone. And McLaren started to get their act together, looked pretty racy around Zanvoort and Budapest time, and then obviously, the Red Bull cars have come on strong.”

But those cars at front of the field are practically in a different league from the other seven teams in this season, which Horner—despite his own successes captaining Red Bull teams that ran the table with Brady-Belichick efficiency—says isn’t ideal for the sport. “I think you want as many cars in the fight as you can get, and the best way to achieve that is stability. Because then they all [close on] the same solutions, and just iterate those same solutions. So if you want close racing, just leave those regulations, those chassis regulations, alone. And you’ll see them all converge onto one solution—the better solution.”

In other words, simplify, then add budget. Formula 1, as he points out, is both one of the most expensive sports in the world and the biggest team sport on the planet. “You’ve got over 2000 team members between engine and chassis, all producing two cars for twenty-four races a year.” Running all as team principal, unsurprisingly, is like spinning plates and juggling bowling pins at the same time, even before factoring in the spotlight.

“Challenges ... there are many. There’s the scrutiny you come under. The politics, the competition of people trying to nick your staff, your drivers, your sponsors. It’s such a competitive industry. There’s so much at stake with large amounts of money involved” he says. “It’s dog-eat-dog in that respect. You gotta get up pretty early in the morning to stay ahead of the rest.”

Having done so for so many years—and most of those seeing an above-average amount of success for the position—certainly suggests the 52-year-old Brit has what Liam Neeson might describe as a particular set of skills. Would you, I ask him, eventually like to circle back to Formula 1?

“I think ...” Here, he pauses. “You know, I had an incredible run. I’m very proud of what I did. It didn’t end the way in the way I would have liked. I’m still relatively young ... I would only go back—knowing the sacrifices it takes—for the right project. Only if I was in a position where I could influence change, drive change within the organization, with like-minded people that wanted to win ... I’ve won close to one-third of the races I entered. I don’t want to go back just to take part.”

But he’s not pigeonholing himself. “I have time on my side to be able to make decisions. I feel like I’m too young to retire,” he says. “Honestly, sitting right here, right now, I have no idea where the next twelve months are going to take me. And I find that kind of exciting.”