F1 fans are all telling Aston Martin not to hire Christian Horner for one ‘unbelievable’ reason

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Christian Horner has emerged as a top target for Aston Martin as team principal Andy Cowell is set to leave the team.

The 56-year-old, who is also the Silverstone outfit’s CEO, has been in the role since October 2024. However, rumours are now emerging that Aston Martin will sack Cowell after the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

It comes after supposed disagreements behind the scenes between the team principal and technical director Adrian Newey. In the wake of it, owner Lawrence Stroll has acted, with Cowell losing his position.

It is understood that former Red Bull boss Horner is under consideration for the role. He has been out of work since July, following his dismissal as team principal after 20 years at the helm.

F1 fans tell Aston Martin not to sign Christian Horner because of his relationship with Adrian Newey

On paper, Horner would be the perfect signing, given his incredible success with Red Bull and Honda, who will supply Aston Martin’s engines from 2026. Newey is also a familiar face from their time in Milton Keynes, but the circumstances of his departure to Aston Martin have fans worried.

They took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their discontent with the Horner links. They do not think Newey would be keen on the move, given the fallout from his Red Bull exit.

“I bet Newey is thrilled to hear this…” said one fan. Another echoed: “Don’t think Adrian would be happy.”

One user wrote: “I don’t think it’s a good idea for Christian Horner to take over in AM.” Another said: “This will be unbelievable. I thought that Newey left Red Bull because of Horner. Have they made up?”

“Imagine Newey leaves Red Bull to get away from Horner, only for him to be re-installed as his boss. Feels like a move that would only destabilise the Aston Martin project,” expressed another fan.

Finally, another fan agreed that the move would be damaging to Aston Martin: “It doesn’t make sense. Horner was the reason or maybe one of the reasons Adrian Newey left RBR. By bringing him in, Lawrence loses pretty much any chance of signing Max in the future.”

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin managing technical partner Adrian Newey

How is Christian Horner’s relationship with Adrian Newey really?

Horner is pushing for a shareholding at Aston Martin, as well as a leadership role, as the team looks to replace Cowell. Newey took a similar approach, as he holds a stake in the team while having a key role in building their 2026 machine.

The legendary F1 engineer announced he was leaving Red Bull in 2024, citing that he wanted a new challenge, with retirement being considered. It was later reported that the internal politics and feud between key figures in the team were a key reason for his exit.

Horner certainly had a part to play in that, given that he had spats with Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen. Newey felt Horner tried to underplay his contributions at Red Bull, despite having a huge impact on the technical department.

Despite the rumours of conflict between the pair, Horner and Newey still have a relationship since leaving Red Bull. It would suggest that a reunion at Aston Martin would not be as tense as some may think.