Damon Hill reveals whether he would have enjoyed racing under Christian Horner in Formula 1

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Damon Hill worked with some of Formula 1’s biggest names during his career, but Christian Horner was one he missed out on that he feels he would have got along with.

Hill missed Horner in the F1 paddock, retiring from the sport after the 1999 season. The latter would join the grid six years later with Red Bull after they bought the Jaguar team.

The 52-year-old went on to win eight drivers’ championships and nine constructors’ titles with the team, becoming one of the most decorated team principals in F1 history. He was also notorious for making harsh driver changes, and Hill thinks he could have stood up to him.

Prove me wrong: Red Bull replacing Christian Horner with Laurent Mekies was the best decision they made in 2025

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Since Max Verstappen joined Red Bull in 2016, he has had eight different teammates, four of whom have shared the garage with him since 2024. Last year, Horner made a mistake in promoting Liam Lawson to the team, with his stint lasting just two races before Yuki Tsunoda was called up.

Sergio Perez also suffered Horner’s wrath as he left the team at the end of the 2024 season. The Brit was perhaps a tough person to work for, but Hill insists that they would have had a good relationship if they had worked together.

Damon Hill thinks he would have got along well with Christian Horner

Speaking via Stay On Track, the 1996 F1 champion believes that he would have got along well with Horner and would have spoken with him directly to establish a working bond.

“I wonder if Christian Horner, I think I would have got on well with Christian,” he said. “I think you have to be able to stand up to people, and I think I would have been able to say…

“I think I would have had an understanding and being able to speak directly to him. And I think that’s really important. One of the things, it’s such an interesting question, because when you go back in history, the team principals were roughly the same age as the drivers.

“If you go back to Ron Dennis and Niki Lauda, Niki might even been older than Ron, I don’t know. But some of them, and Frank, when he started the drivers, they were all the same age.

“So imagine the dynamic there. I mean, think of Kimi and Toto. Well, I mean, Kimi is completely… he could be his grandchild.

“The father-son kind of relationship, whereas where you’ve got the same age, you can see… I talk directly to the person because you’re all in an equal experience, let’s say.”

READ MORE: Who is Christian Horner? Everything to know from Red Bull past to net worth

Will Christian Horner return to Formula 1?

Following his departure from Red Bull midway through 2025, Horner is still on the lookout for a return to F1. It is believed that he wants to take on an ownership role, rather than returning as team principal.

Lawrence Stroll is in ‘regular contact’ with Horner, having been linked with Aston Martin for some time. However, with Adrian Newey at the helm, any deal feels unlikely.

The Red Bull boss was a key reason why Newey decided to leave the team for Silverstone. Stroll may still pursue a deal for Horner, but other teams could also be of interest.

Horner could ‘seriously consider’ joining Audi as rival Toto Wolff tries to buy Otro Capital’s stake in Alpine. The Brit was linked with the Enstone outfit, but now with Wolff in the frame, he may change his tactics completely and join Mercedes’ German rivals.