Damon Hill tells Aston Martin exactly why they can’t hire Christian Horner as team principal

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Aston Martin have been linked with hiring Christian Horner as their new team principal, with the future of current boss Andy Cowell under serious threat.

Andy Cowell took over as Aston Martin team principal at the start of the season from Mike Krack.

Ever since their brilliant 2023 campaign when Fernando Alonso scored eight podiums for the team, Aston Martin have been on a steady decline.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix saw all of their direct rivals score points, but even after McLaren’s double disqualification, they still couldn’t break into the top 10.

Now, it looks like Aston Martin are considering a reshuffle of their senior staff ahead of the upcoming 2026 F1 campaign and subsequent rule change.

Christian Horner is one name linked with joining Aston Martin, but 1996 world champion Damon Hill has asked a question about the rumours that should put Lawrence Stroll off moving to bring in the former Red Bull boss.

READ MORE: Who is Christian Horner? All you need to know about Red Bull to net worth

Damon Hill questions whether Max Verstappen would ever join Aston Martin if Christian Horner was hired

Christian Horner is one of the most successful team principals in Formula 1 history.

He oversaw six constructors’ championship wins and four titles for Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

However, he was let go by the Anglo-Austrian team after this year’s British Grand Prix, as Red Bull had concerns over Horner’s level of power within the team’s structure.

Not only that, but it was well known that Horner and Jos Verstappen didn’t see eye-to-eye, and the Dutch driver is by far and away the organisation’s most important asset.

Verstappen has been linked with Aston Martin in the past, and if Stroll ever wants to hire the strongest driver on the grid, then bringing in Horner would be a risky decision.

Posting on Instagram in relation to the news, Hill said: “Would this preclude Max ever going to Aston? Or is it all just mischief?”

It’s well known that Horner and Adrian Newey also had some disagreements before their respective exits, and that might be another barrier to any relationship forming between the 52-year-old and the Silverstone-based outfit.

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Max Verstappen would be more important to Aston Martin than Christian Horner

Horner knows how to turn a midfield Formula 1 team into world beaters, but it takes time and a significant number of resources.

Aston Martin have the best factory in F1, and the likes of Newey, Enrico Cardile and Bob Bell behind the scenes have the potential to build a championship-winning car.

However, even the quickest car on the grid doesn’t guarantee success. Imagine McLaren trying to win the championship in 2008 by backing Heikki Kovalainen instead of Lewis Hamilton, or Red Bull putting all of their faith in Sergio Perez or Yuki Tsunoda in recent seasons.

Verstappen is much more likely to be the key to any future success for Aston Martin instead of Horner if they have a choice of hiring one or the other.

Andreas Seidl might be ahead of Horner in Aston Martin’s thinking to replace Cowell, which could be crucial in one day attracting the four-time world champion to sign for them.

If they instead have their eye on a different driver, then Horner can once again enter the conversation.