Zak Brown looks forward to Christian Horner’s F1 return: “It’s good to have different characters”. Zak Brown welcomes the possible return of Christian Horner to F1.

Zak Brown is enjoying a successful 2025 for many reasons. Beyond the super bonus McLaren awarded him at the end of last season for winning the Constructors’ Championship—which is likely to be increased further to celebrate the back-to-back victory and potentially the Drivers’ Championship—there is also the relief of no longer having one of his fiercest rivals in the paddock. Christian Horner, the former Red Bull team principal, left Formula 1 last July after his sudden departure from the team he helped build into a championship-winning squad.

However, Horner’s absence may be temporary. Many insiders believe the 51-year-old English manager is actively seeking a new team to lead once his brief gardening leave ends in early 2026. Even Toto Wolff has acknowledged that the paddock misses a divisive character of Horner’s caliber, noting that a “villain” can add spice to the sport.

Brown looks forward to Horner’s return

Horner’s potential comeback would not only excite fans and former rivals but also add drama for series like Drive to Survive. In line with Toto Wolff, Zak Brown has expressed cautious appreciation for Horner. The McLaren CEO told Bloomberg that Christian Horner has had a stellar F1 career, accumulating multiple Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Brown added that, while they never shared many “cups of tea” together, having diverse personalities in the paddock keeps the sport exciting and authentic.

Historically, Zak Brown and Christian Horner never clashed personally, even after the American publicly criticized Horner in the wake of a rumored harassment scandal involving the Red Bull boss in early 2024. Behind the scenes, Netflix cameras captured Horner jokingly calling Brown a “complete idiot.” The two even shared a temporary truce, flying together on a private jet after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, though it did not turn them into close friends.

Despite their past rivalries, Brown’s comments signal an openness to Horner rejoining Formula 1, emphasizing that the sport benefits from strong, distinctive characters who challenge each other and make the competition more dynamic.