Christian Horner could now make ‘substantial’ offer to midfield F1 team after Haas turned him down

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Christian Horner has already received a couple of rejections as he seeks a way back onto the F1 grid. But as he crosses names off the list, his destination may be coming into view.

Horner finalised his termination from Red Bull last month, allowing him to return to F1 with another team as early as next spring. Newcomers Cadillac have already ruled out a move.

And in the Singapore Grand Prix paddock on Thursday, Haas boss Ayao Komatsu revealed that Horner approached a member of the team. But Komatsu says the negotiations didn’t progress and are now ‘finished’.

Amid suggestions that Horner won’t join a Mercedes-powered team due to his fractious relationship with Toto Wolff, his options have been whittled down quickly. But one attractive route is still in play.

Christian Horner has begun negotiations with Lawrence Stroll and Aston Martin

According to Mark Hughes and Motor Sport Magazine, Horner has already held discussions with Lawrence Stroll, the owner of Aston Martin.

Stroll is looking for new investors, which aligns with Horner’s goal of securing a stake in a team. This, he hopes, will give him the kind of power Wolff (a one-third owner) enjoys at Mercedes.

The Canadian businessman doesn’t want to sell the team, who of course field his son Lance, until he’s ‘achieved success’. They haven’t won a race since he took over, but he’s intent on challenging for titles under the new regulations.

But Stroll is open to ‘generating substantial revenue’ by offloading a portion of the team to a ‘Triple A level investor’. Horner already has backers behind him.

There’s a possibility that the 51-year-old takes on a ‘significant’ position beneath Stroll at first, and then succeeds him one day. But this is only one of a range of scenarios on the table.

It’s also worth stressing that Horner faces considerable competition for a limited number of shares.

Christian Horner’s £333m alternative if Aston Martin talks fail

Stroll has already signed Adrian Newey, who designed Red Bull’s eight-title winning cars during Horner’s tenure, as well as former Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell and Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile. He doesn’t necessarily need the leadership of Horner.

Thus, it may be that Horner’s financial package is more important than his CV in facilitating a partnership.

There are suggestions that Newey could block Horner’s arrival after they grew apart at Red Bull, they have met socially away from the race track.

If the Aston Martin talks are unsuccessful, Horner could potentially set up his own team. He will have to pay £333m to do so, and then clear a lengthy approval process.