Rumours continue to swirl about former Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner's potential Formula 1 return. He left the team following a reported internal power struggle, which was intensified by a sexual harassment investigation in early 2024.
Horner, who steered Red Bull to eight Drivers' World Championships and six Constructors' World Championships, denied any wrongdoing and was ultimately cleared. However, the team's decline in form at the start of the 2025 season—and talk about Max Verstappen leaving—ultimately led to Horner's dismissal.
Recent speculation has pointed to him potentially buying into Aston Martin, through a hugely complicated set of circumstances. It was said that unvestor group Otro Capital would sell its stake in Alpine to Horner, using those funds to purchase Aston Martin. Horner would then sell his stake in Alpine, linking up with Otro Capital in the Silverstone-based unit.
GPblog has done some digging and, unsurprisingly, has been told by Aston Martin that this is all nonsense, and just part of "silly season." Crucially, the team has confirmed that nothing is for sale and Lawrence Stroll has no plans to relinquish his control.
So, where does that leave Horner? "GPblog has also learned that Horner himself does not want to get involved with Aston Martin under its current management set up," writes the site. "One such issue would be the driver line up, which contains Stroll's son, Lance."
"Stroll too has moved away from speculation linking him with Horner, plus we previously reported that Stroll Sr., when announcing Adrian Newey as team principal, informed the entire team that Horner would not be coming to Aston Martin," the report adds.
It's said that Horner is eager to return to F1, with two possibilities available to him. He could start his own team, giving him full control. That would be a long-term project requiring a lot of money, so it doesn't seem likely. Alternatively—and this does seem the most realistic outcome—Horner will look to become co-owner of Alpine.
Of course, there's always a chance that Horner surprises everyone by simply signing with one of the teams on the grid as Team Principal. He wouldn't enjoy the sort of freedom he had at Red Bull for so many years, but it would be one way to get his foot back in the door.
When Horner was ousted from Red Bull, he said, "Watching and being part of this team, has been the biggest privilege of my life."
Stay tuned for updates on Horner's F1 future as they come in.