Christian Horner, who left Red Bull Formula One in July 2025 with a reported £80 million ($107.58 million) payout, has joined private equity firm Oakley Capital as an advisor on premium sports investments [1, 2]. Oakley Capital invests in private pan-European businesses with enterprise values between €100 million and over €1 billion [1, 2].
The firm’s existing sports portfolio includes British America's Cup team GB1, padel racket maker NOX, Vice Golf, and North Sails [1, 2]. Oakley Capital founder Peter Dubens said Horner is "widely recognised as a highly successful leader in global sport" whose "track record, expertise and commercial instinct will be invaluable as we continue to scale our sports portfolio" [1]. Horner said he looks forward to working with Oakley Capital to support "the next generation of standout sports businesses" [1].
Horner has also been linked to a potential 24% stake in the Alpine Formula One team, owned by investors led by Otro Capital, whose group includes RedBird Capital Partners, Maximum Effort Investments, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, NFL star Patrick Mahomes, and golfer Rory McIlroy [1, 2].
Separately, Horner has engaged with Chinese car maker BYD, which is showing interest in Formula One as a sponsor, investor, or even a grid entrant [1, 2]. Horner attended a BYD event in Cannes over the weekend before Oakley’s announcement and met with BYD vice-president Stella Li [1, 2]. BYD has had informal talks with Formula One and the FIA about potential involvement in the sport. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem remarked, "I think they are looking at this in a different way" [1].
Oakley Capital announced Horner’s advisory role on May 21, 2026. His experience combined with Oakley’s focus on founder-led, high-growth sports businesses positions the firm to pursue further opportunities in premium sports sectors [1, 2].