Marco Bezzecchi
Former Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner has been shortlisted by Liberty Media to become MotoGP’s next CEO, according to a report.
The British executive was handed his marching orders from the frontrunning Formula 1 team in the midst of the 2025 season, following a highly successful tenure that spanned nearly 20 years.
The final few months of Horner’s role at Red Bull were marred by controversy, with the regression of the F1 team’s results during the first half of 2025 reportedly being the final straw for the company’s top brass.
Would you like to see Christian Horner in MotoGP?
Following his exit from the pinnacle of single-seater racing, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone privately advised Horner to seek out a role in MotoGP as his next venture instead of returning to the sport in which he cut his teeth.
Christian Horner is on Liberty Media’s shortlist to become MotoGP’s next CEO
According to a recent report by SoyMotor, Horner has been recognised as a candidate to become MotoGP’s new CEO following his appearance at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend.
His visit to the Jerez paddock fuelled rumours of the former F1 man potentially acquiring a stake in a MotoGP team. Reports from earlier in the year revealed Horner’s negotiations with Alpine, but the deal has seemingly hit a roadblock.
The Spanish outlet’s report highlights how the rumours regarding the 52-year-old had already been circulating the paddock, and his appearance at Jerez alongside F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has ‘reinforced’ the notion.
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Horner remained tight-lipped during his appearance at the Spanish GP, mentioning that he was in attendance as a guest of Liberty Media and MotoGP, while also expressing his appreciation for Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
Carmelo Ezpeleta has been the CEO of MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna Sports) since 1998, but Liberty Media’s acquisition of the sport has marked the start of a new era for the premier class.
The American conglomerates have been tipped to commission a MotoGP version of F1’s Drive to Survive series, which increased the sport’s growth exponentially and established Horner as a household name among fans.
- READ MORE: Martin Brundle issues verdict on Christian Horner MotoGP talk after he lost Formula 1 role
Christian Horner would be the latest figure to swap F1 for MotoGP
If Liberty Media do go ahead and appoint Horner as MotoGP’s new CEO, he would become the latest F1 figure to swap the four-wheeled racing category for two.
Tech3 owner Guenther Steiner is the most recent figure to make the move, following his acquisition of the French satellite team at the end of 2025.
Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola, as well as Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio, also served tenures in Formula 1.
The former was the sporting director of Ferrari’s F1 efforts between 2009 and 2016, while the latter served a brief stint as Alpine’s racing director in 2021.
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