Bernie Ecclestone privately tells Christian Horner to seek MotoGP role after Red Bull exit is confirmed

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Former Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner is looking for his next role after confirming his departure from the team on Monday. MotoGP has even been suggested to him.

The premier class has received a dramatic increase in interest in recent months. It comes after Liberty Media completed its takeover of MotoGP earlier this year from Dorna.

Uniting MotoGP and F1 under the same ownership, Liberty are hoping to have the same success with two wheels as they have with four wheels, having skyrocketed F1’s global audience and finances.

Several F1 key figures have seen the potential of MotoGP under Liberty and are looking to get involved in some capacity. Guenther Steiner will take over Tech3 in 2026, assuming control from Herve Poncharal.

Now, it has been suggested to former Red Bull boss Horner that he should seek a way into MotoGP after leaving the six-time F1 champions.

Bernie Ecclestone tells Christian Horner to ‘run’ MotoGP after confirming his Red Bull exit

According to a report from the Daily Mail, former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone, who ran the sport for over four decades until his departure in 2017, had been holding ‘private conversations’ with Horner about his future.

In these chats, he has suggested to the 51-year-old that ‘he might be well-advised to go to MotoGP’ for his next motorsport venture. His departure from Red Bull was confirmed today after he was sacked as team principal back in July.

Horner must serve a period of gardening leave at Red Bull; he is free to explore new work in the summer of 2026. Ecclestone has told the Brit that he could go and ‘run’ MotoGP, with Horner now unlikely to take over a leadership role with a team, even in F1.

Liberty are looking to bring in more experienced personnel onto the board to help run MotoGP. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola was previously mentioned as a candidate during Jorge Martin’s contract dispute earlier this season.

READ MORE: The full 2026 MotoGP grid, with every team’s rider line-ups

Christian Horner joins Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in F1 figures linked with MotoGP roles

Horner is the latest F1 name to be mentioned as a possible person to join MotoGP. Multiple world champions Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have expressed interest in buying a team.

Hamilton had held talks with Gresini in the past, but those discussions broke down as the team were unwilling to sell, even for a high offer. The seven-time champion’s interest has recently reignited, with Hamilton having backing from TWG Global, who have ties to the Cadillac F1 team.

Verstappen has been speaking to Valentino Rossi, as it emerged that the Dutchman has been talking to every satellite team about buying a 100% stake. LCR and Trackhouse have been the two teams commonly mentioned in reports.

However, Trackhouse is likely to reject Verstappen as the team is a relatively new project. It is unclear whether Horner will seriously consider joining MotoGP, but the sport is certainly an attractive option.