Christian Horner links spark ‘concern’ throughout £1.6bn-valued F1 team as owner forced to intervene

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Christian Horner has forced one F1 team owner to take immediate action after being linked with the Briton, as he now bids to return to the paddock after he left Red Bull.

The 51-year-old formalised his departure from Red Bull this September after they agreed on his severance package to leave after 20 years in charge. Red Bull had stripped Horner of his operational duties in July, but they remained in talks as his contract was due to run to 2030.

It is said that Horner accepted a reduced pay-off to leave Red Bull, with a fee in the region of £52m to £80m reported, as it brought down the duration of his gardening leave. Horner can return to F1 in early 2026, so he has contacted a lot of the paddock to explore any openings.

Lawrence Stroll has told concerned Aston Martin staff that he has no plans to hire Christian Horner

The only teams that Horner has not contacted to discuss a return to Formula 1 next year are believed to be Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari, along with the two Red Bull crews, according to Autosport Web. But Horner has been ‘explicitly turned away’ by all of the other F1 teams.

READ MORE: All to know on sacked Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with net worth

Horner’s demand to be the CEO, as well as the team principal, of the next outfit he leads has emerged as the ‘biggest obstacle’ blocking the Briton’s route back to the paddock. So, Aston Martin, Alpine, Audi, Cadillac, Haas and Williams have shown zero interest in a deal, thus far.

Teams are reluctant to give Horner the total control he desires, despite the Leamington Spa native being able to bring a sponsorship package worth nearly $100m (£74.5m). Horner also has investors behind him who would be prepared to fund a minority stake in Aston Martin.

Word that Horner could take charge of Aston Martin over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend also sparked ‘concern’ throughout their factory and race team. So, Canadian billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll had to ‘intervene immediately’ to pacify the unease at Aston Martin.

Stroll summoned CEO and team principal Andy Cowell to ‘provide assurances’ that Horner at present has ‘no plans’ to join the £1.6bn-valued Aston Martin F1 team. Stroll even contacted other Aston Martin staffers to make it clear he has no plans to hire Horner ‘in any capacity’.

Christian Horner’s best option to return to F1 could now be to build his own team

Horner seemingly has big financial backers behind him, but the Briton’s desire to have total control could prevent him from returning to the paddock next season. Aston Martin owner Stroll is not the only powerhouse unwilling to meet Horner’s demands to land his services.

Ayao Komatsu also confirmed at the Singapore Grand Prix that Horner had approached Haas over a possible role at the American-owned crew. But it is reported that Haas have no plans to speak to Horner again, as owner Gene Haas emphasised that he is not selling his F1 team.

Instead, Horner’s best option to return to F1 could now be to build his own team, instead of taking over an existing team unwilling to install the former Red Bull leader at the top of their hierarchy. It is also said that Horner has held preliminary talks about starting a new F1 team.