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Christian Horner rumours grow as winless F1 boss is given one more year to prove himself

Originally posted on HITC | By David Comerford | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 9:13 AM ET

Christian Horner may have to bide his time before he earns another role within Formula 1. With major regulation changes looming, teams want to know where they stand before making such a transformative hire.

The former Red Bull team principal has already been ruled out by some outfits. According to reports this week, Lawrence Stroll told Aston Martin employees there was no plan to pursue Horner.

Cadillac have already dismissed any links, while James Vowles said Horner hadn’t been in touch with Williams. McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari are all unrealistic destinations, but the 51-year-old may be zeroing in on a more viable target.

Alpine stick with Flavio Briatore for now despite Christian Horner links

Alpine are seen by many as the most probable landing spot for Horner, with one journalist putting the chances at 90%. But according to Michael Schmidt of Auto Motor und Sport, nothing is expected to happen on that front for at least another year.

Renault have given Briatore a 12-month window to prove he can move the team forward. The season carries extra weight for Alpine, as they’re dropping their in-house engine programme in favour of customer Mercedes units, hoping the switch will finally deliver their first win since 2021.

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The French outfit haven’t taken a chequered flag since the days when Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso were sharing headlines, with Alonso’s defending helping Ocon hold off Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix back in 2021.

Despite Horner and Briatore having a strong relationship, it’s hard to imagine them working together. Briatore holds significant influence within the team due to his direct link with ownership – exactly the kind of power Horner would be after if he were to join.

If Renault feels Briatore’s approach isn’t delivering results this year, they may be open to bringing Horner in and overhauling their structure completely.

“You have to ask yourself, what does he want?” Schmidt said. “I mean, it’s clear that Christian Horner is certainly not going to take on such a menial role as a normal team boss.

“If he were to replace Komatsu at Haas, that would still be a step backwards from his point of view. He’s coming from a huge team to the smallest team; he’s not going to do that.”

Christian Horner’s potential route back to F1 is on hold

Christian Horner might have to wait a while before landing a new job in Formula 1. With major regulation changes coming, teams are hesitant to make such a big hire until they have a clearer picture of the landscape.

Some teams have already ruled out a deal with the former Red Bull team boss. A report this week claimed that Lawrence Stroll has assured Aston Martin staff there are no plans to bring Horner on board.

Current team principal Andy Cowell had already hinted at this during the Singapore Grand Prix, while Haas boss Ayao Komatsu also confirmed that although Horner had made an enquiry, talks hadn’t progressed beyond that point.

Cadillac have also dismissed any links, while James Vowles stated that Horner hadn’t reached out to Williams. McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all seem unlikely destinations for now, but there’s growing speculation around one more realistic opportunity.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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