Christian Horner has disclosed that he was given the chance to leave Red Bull for Mercedes at the end of 2012, with Niki Lauda attempting to convince him to take charge of the German manufacturer's Formula 1 operation.
The revelation comes from Horner's memoir Drive, in which the former Red Bull team principal describes an approach from Lauda during the Christmas period. Despite the financial appeal of the proposal, Horner had little interest in walking away from the team he had led to three successive world championship doubles.
Lauda approached Horner over Mercedes role
By the end of 2012, Horner had established himself as one of Formula 1's most successful team principals. Red Bull had won both championships in each of the previous three seasons, with Sebastian Vettel emerging as the dominant figure in the team's rise to the top.
Mercedes was in a very different position. Having returned to Formula 1 as a works team in 2010, the manufacturer was still working towards becoming a regular championship contender. Its ambitions were clear, however, with Lewis Hamilton already confirmed as a replacement for Michael Schumacher ahead of the 2013 campaign.
As part of those plans, Lauda identified Horner as a potential candidate to lead the team. The three-time world champion approached the Briton at his home over Christmas, hoping to persuade him that a move to Mercedes would be worthwhile.
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Horner was presented with an attractive financial package, but the prospect of leaving Red Bull was not something he was prepared to entertain. His relationship with the late Dietrich Mateschitz, who had entrusted him with running the team in 2005, played a decisive role in his response: "I feel a loyalty to Dietrich and the team, so as much as I appreciate this, I am not going to join Mercedes," Horner recalled.
The rejection left Mercedes to pursue other options as it continued restructuring its Formula 1 management. Toto Wolff subsequently joined the German manufacturer in 2013, having previously been nvolved with Williams. Ross Brawn remained team principal that season, before Mercedes reorganised its leadership ahead of the introduction of Formula 1's new power unit regulations in 2014.
The changes coincided with the beginning of an extraordinary period of success for Mercedes, which went on to secure eight consecutive constructors' championships between 2014 and 2021. Horner remained at Red Bull, overseeing Vettel's fourth successive title in 2013 before the team eventually returned to championship-winning form with Max Verstappen.
Hamilton also held secret discussions with Red Bull
Horner's memoir also sheds light on another significant episode from 2012, involving Hamilton's search for a new team. Before agreeing to join Mercedes, the British driver explored the possibility of moving to Red Bull and attended a private meeting at Adrian Newey's home near Ascot.
According to Horner, Hamilton considered Red Bull his preferred destination, but the prospect of putting him alongside Vettel was met with reservations from Helmut Marko. The considerable financial commitment required to sign the McLaren driver also contributed to Horner's decision not to pursue the deal.