Haas is an unlikely destination given Horner’s stature and the good work done by Ayao Komatsu thus far, and working under long-time rival and adversary Zak Brown at McLaren is less likely than a return to Red Bull. This leaves three reasonable destinations on the table: Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Alpine.

Christian Horner admitted his sacking came as a “shock” in a tearful farewell speech to staff at the Red Bull Racing factory in Milton Keynes on Wednesday.