Christian Horner made one of his first significant public appearance since leaving Red Bull in July, joining wife Geri at Watford’s Championship fixture against Coventry on Saturday afternoon.

The former Formula One team principal, who received an £80million settlement from the Austrian racing outfit, was all smiles alongside his Spice Girl wife at the match.

The couple waved to fans who recognised them before kick-off, with Geri supporting her beloved Watford.

Unfortunately for the celebrity couple, their presence didn’t bring much luck to Watford. Frank Lampard’s table-topping Coventry absolutely dominated the match, racing into a two-goal lead within just seven minutes.

Brandon Thomas-Asante, Jamie Allen and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto all got on the scoresheet as the Sky Blues stormed to a 3-0 advantage by half-time.

Things went from bad to worse for the Hornets when James Abankwah saw red before the break.

It was a tough afternoon for the Watford, who found themselves completely outplayed by the Championship leaders.

Christian Horner left Red Bull back in July and is yet to decide on a return to the paddock

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The Horners had previously watched these two sides meet at Coventry’s ground back in January.

This year, it’s been quite the change for Horner, who spent two decades travelling the world for Grand Prix weekends before his high-profile departure from the sport.

While he enjoyed his Saturday afternoon at the football, his old Red Bull team were preparing for Sunday’s crucial Mexican Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen is currently heading into Mexico having brilliantly closed the gap on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to a somewhat reachable distance.

The Dutchman’s victory in Austin last weekend has blown the championship fight wide open, with Piastri on 346 points, Norris on 332 and Verstappen now on 306.

The 28-year-old won four straight world titles during Horner’s time at Red Bull between 2021 and 2024.

Since his departure, Horner has been actively exploring opportunities to return to Formula One.

Max Verstappen won the United States Grand Prix last week to close the gap to McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the top of the Drovers’ Championship

 | REUTERSIt’s quite the contrast – instead of being trackside for what could prove a pivotal race weekend in Central America, the 51-year-old was watching Championship football in England.

He strategically accepted the £80m settlement rather than the maximum £110m available, which would have prevented him from working in the sport for years.

This decision means he could potentially return to the paddock as early as spring 2026.

Several teams have shown interest, including Ferrari, who are reportedly keen to secure his services. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed that Horner approached them for exploratory talks, though nothing progressed further.

Alpine and Aston Martin have also been linked with the former Red Bull boss. Notably, his long-time colleague Adrian Newey recently joined Aston Martin after 19 years working together.