Oakley Capital has recently appointed Christian Horner, the ex-team principal of the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team, to a new role as an ‘investment advisor’.
The news coincides with growing speculation regarding Christian Horner’s future in Formula 1.
There have been reports that suggest he is currently looking into purchasing an existing team to return to F1 following his departure from Red Bull; these reports only add to the mounting pressure on him surrounding his options after leaving Red Bull.
Christian Horner Joins Expanding Sports Investment Portfolio
Athena Racing is an example of one of Oakley Capital’s sports investments that is rapidly growing within the sport of sailing and competing in the America’s Cup.
Oakley Capital has also invested in companies within the sports of padel and golf.
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The appointment of Christian Horner signals Oakley Capital’s intention to increase its footprint within the premium sports industry, which has seen explosive growth commercially due to global audience increases and fan engagement levels increasing over the past several years.
Speaking about the new role, Christian Horner said, “Sports businesses are benefiting from growing global audiences and participation rates as more people embrace healthier, active lifestyles.”
“I have known and respected Peter [Dubens] and the Oakley team for many years and have always admired their approach to building ambitious, founder-led businesses.”
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“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.”
Why Oakley Capital Wanted Christian Horner
Christian Horner’s appointment also reflects how Formula 1 executives are increasingly becoming valuable assets beyond racing due to their expertise in sponsorship growth, commercial strategy, brand expansion, and high-performance leadership.
Oakley Capital founder and managing partner Peter Dubens reveals the reason behind Christian Horner’s selection.
He explained, “Christian Horner is widely recognised as a highly successful leader in global sport. His track record, expertise and commercial instinct will be invaluable as we continue to scale our sports portfolio.”
“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. And we look forward to working with Christian to unlock these opportunities.”
The recent appointment as a new advisor to the Formula 1 team means this represents a really big business opportunity; however, it seems improbable that it will eliminate the options for Christian Horner to pursue his ambition to return to Formula 1 as a competitor.
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Reports have suggested that he would like to have a way back into Formula 1 and that he would be particularly interested in the opportunity of owning shares of an existing Formula 1 team as opposed to taking on a conventional management position.
The potential of such an opportunity could further fuel speculation about Horner’s next move within motorsport, especially now that the commercial value of Formula 1 grows and the worldwide appeal of Formula 1 also increases.
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