It has been a few months since Formula 1 was rocked by the stunning news of Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull. The decision, announced last summer, marked the end of an era. The Milton Keynes-based team suddenly lost the team principal who had built the squad from scratch and guided it to the very top of the sport, collecting titles and consistently competing at the front.
What made the move even more surprising was that Horner left as a winner, having secured Red Bull’s most recent triumph with Max Verstappen’s 2024 drivers’ championship. Some in the paddock suggest that Verstappen himself may have been a decisive factor in the shake-up. Faced with the risk of losing their star driver to Mercedes, Red Bull’s leadership may have chosen to sacrifice their long-serving boss to keep hold of the team’s most valuable asset — the driver around whom the entire project revolves.
A range of perspectives
The exit was a major blow for the man who was the longest-serving team principal on the grid, and it quickly triggered plenty of debate within the motorsport world. Analysts, insiders, and former team managers have all offered their own take on Horner’s departure and the possibility of him returning to the Formula 1 paddock in the future.
Among them was former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. Speaking recently, Steiner admitted that he does not see Horner — who left Red Bull with an £80 million severance package and a gardening leave that runs until the summer of 2026 — returning to the pit wall in the short term. Despite rumors linking him to roles at Alpine and Aston Martin, Steiner expressed his doubts.
“I think he will wait a bit. He clearly wants to come back, but I don’t think there is anything right now that really suits him. I don’t believe Aston Martin needs Christian. There was a lot of unhappiness inside Red Bull and something had to change. His departure was part of that process, and now the team is finding its way back to success. The conflict between Newey and Horner was also one of the reasons Adrian chose to leave. I don’t think putting Horner back in charge would work,” Steiner explained.
Turrini and the sensational rumor
Unlike Steiner, Italian journalist Leo Turrini offered a very different perspective in his blog Profondo Rosso. He revealed what he described as a sensational rumor: that Christian Horner may already be close to reaching an agreement with Aston Martin, where he could once again team up with legendary designer Adrian Newey.
“From Singapore comes a whisper to take with caution. There are rumors that Chris Horner, the so-called ‘Phantom of the Cans’, is nearing a deal with Aston Martin. The most decorated team principal of modern Formula 1 could reunite with Adrian Newey, the genius designer who was his ally during Red Bull’s two great eras of dominance. Now think about it: Aston Martin 2026. Newey. New Honda power unit. Horner. And who might be the final piece of the puzzle, perhaps in 2027? Someone with the initials MV. Could it really happen?!” wrote Turrini.
Whether pure speculation or a genuine hint of what is to come, the idea of Horner and Newey leading Aston Martin into F1’s new engine era in 2026 is a scenario that would shake the paddock to its core — and inevitably fuel talk of Max Verstappen’s long-term future.
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