Private equity firm Oakley Capital is set to expand its sports investments and has tapped Christian Horner, the former chief executive and team principal of Formula 1 (F1) motor racing team Red Bull, to advise on its entry in the market.
Oakley says that it is targeting premium sports investments, with Horner’s F1 history a likely driver behind adding him as an advisor.
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Horner was in charge of Red Bull Racing, one of F1’s most successful teams over the past 20 years, from its foundation in 2005, until he was unceremoniously dismissed in July 2025.
In 2024, Horner was formally accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behavior by a junior female Red Bull Racing employee. He was cleared of these claims twice, both times by independent lawyers.
In the 17 months between then and his firing, however, the on-track performance of the team had deteriorated markedly, pushing Red Bull into action, replacing him with Laurent Mekies, who had been head of Red Bull’s secondary team.
At times in the early 2010s, Horner was touted as a likely successor to Bernie Ecclestone, the series' colorful supremo, who eventually sold his stake in the property to the Liberty Media group in 2017.
Now, he will advise Oakley on adding to a sports investment portfolio that already includes the GB1 (former Athena Racing) sailing team, which is the challenger of record for the iconic America’s Cup competition.
Speaking on the announcement, Oakley founder and managing partner Peter Dubens said: “We are increasingly drawn to businesses in this space that share the hallmarks of a typical Oakley investment: founder-led, high-growth and supported by resilient revenues, or under-commercialised ‘scarce’ assets with significant untapped potential. We look forward to working with Christian in order to unlock these opportunities.
Horner himself added: “Sports businesses are benefitting from growing global audiences and participation rates as more people embrace healthier, active lifestyles. I have known and respected Peter and the Oakley team for many years and have always admired their approach to building ambitious, founder-led businesses.
“Oakley Capital has established a strong reputation across the sports and consumer landscape, and I look forward to working together in the future and sharing my experience to help support the next generation of standout sports businesses.”
It had been rumored in recent months that Horner was leading a consortium of investors bent on acquiring a stake in the Alpine F1 team.
Indeed, reports have re-emerged this week suggesting that Horner has re-entered the race to acquire the Alpine stake, or enter a brand new team altogether into the F1 paddock, with the Englishman allegedly serving as a figurehead for the Chinese electric vehicle heavyweight BYD and its F1 ambitions.
Whether BYD acquires Otro Capital’s 24% Alpine stake that is up for sale, or if it pays the considerable entrance fee to join as a 12th team, remains to be seen, but it is clear that Horner is not finished with F1 yet.
Perhaps Oakley may also be involved alongside BYD, with Horner bringing various backers together to mount another assault on the prestigious series.
