Pierre Gasly expects Christian Horner to be back in F1 after Red Bull sacking

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly expects his former team boss Christian Horner to return to Formula 1 with another team following his dismissal from Red Bull earlier this month.

Horner had led Red Bull since the inception of the team in 2005, guiding the squad to six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ championships during his two decades at the helm.

However, he lost his job as Red Bull’s team principal and CEO just days after the British Grand Prix, with Laurent Mekies promoted from Racing Bulls as his replacement.

Gasly worked directly with Horner when he joined Red Bull’s senior team in 2019, but he lost his seat after just 12 races due to underwhelming results. 

He remained part of the Red Bull structure for several more years, famously claiming a shock victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri, before moving to Alpine in 2023.

Despite his short stint at Milton Keynes, Gasly said he retains a deep respect for Horner and the role he played in transforming Red Bull into a dominant force in F1.

The Frenchman believes Horner’s past success makes him a strong candidate for any team looking to strengthen its leadership and become a front-running outfit.

“I think his qualities are undoubtable because when you've got the number of championships in 20 years of career,” he said.

“You can only respect all the success with the team, and what he's done with Red Bull Racing over there, it's very remarkable and very impressive. He is very, very good at what he's been doing with the team. 

“I'm sure we're gonna see him somewhere because with that sort of experience and skills, I'm sure some teams will be interested in Christian. 

“I was closer to Helmut [Marko] just from the fact that it's more the link between the drivers. Helmut came to coach me when I was 17. I signed a contract with him. 

“I got to know Christian a bit later through the process and being part of the academy side. Less contact with him, but still some and for sure he has been doing very well with Red Bull.”