Zak Brown tips Christian Horner for an F1 return: ‘Things went sideways’ at Red Bull, but this story isn’t done
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown thinks Christian Horner will be back in Formula 1 sooner rather than later, despite the messy way his long Red Bull reign ended. And yes, that comes from a man who spent the past few seasons locked in a running feud with him.
Horner was dismissed in the wake of July’s British Grand Prix, ending more than two decades in charge at Milton Keynes. Red Bull parachuted in Laurent Mekies from Racing Bulls to take the top job, and the response on track was immediate: Max Verstappen rattled off six wins in the final nine races as Red Bull came within a whisker of saving the season. In the end, Verstappen fell just two points short of McLaren’s Lando Norris in the drivers’ standings, with McLaren also sealing the constructors’ crown — their first title double since 1998.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Brown didn’t duck the Horner question. Asked if F1 misses the former Red Bull boss, he paused, then offered the compliment with caveat. “Yeah, in the sense of… I mean, he’s an unbelievable team boss. Obviously, things went sideways the last couple of years. I think he’ll be back.”
Brown also tipped his cap to Red Bull’s underlying strength and the man who nearly dragged them over the line anyway. “They’re an unbelievable team,” he said. “And Max Verstappen’s the greatest driver of the modern era.”
Horner, 52, has been linked with several paths back to the paddock since reaching a reported $100 million settlement with Red Bull in September, a move widely seen as clearing the decks for a 2026 return. One rumor mill favorite was Aston Martin, but that cooled when Adrian Newey — Horner’s long-time technical talisman at Red Bull — was appointed team principal at Silverstone for 2026. Even so, the Horner-to-Aston talk hasn’t died completely, largely because the former Red Bull boss is understood to be prioritising a shareholding or ownership element in any comeback. That naturally limits the number of plausible homes and hints at a bigger play than simply slotting into someone else’s structure.
It’s the contradiction that’s always made Horner fascinating to rivals: the arch-politician who could run a no-drama race team. He was never shy of a needle — especially once McLaren emerged as Red Bull’s primary threat — but you couldn’t argue with the scoreboard under his watch. Perhaps that’s why Brown’s tone carries a tinge of respect alongside the rivalry. As he put it: “Sport is filled with characters: good guys, bad guys, all different. I think that’s what makes the sport fascinating.”
Brown, of course, hasn’t been a shrinking violet on the subject. Last month he suggested Horner “changed” with the success and spotlight that came with Red Bull’s dominance, pointing at the fame influx around Drive to Survive. The subtext was clear: the politics got louder as the trophies piled up.
Where does this go next? If Horner’s priority is equity, the shortlist narrows. Aston Martin has the infrastructure, the investment, and now Newey at the wheel — which complicates, but doesn’t totally close, the door. Elsewhere, the market for a shareholding-level role is thin unless an ownership shuffle opens up. The other variable is timing. A 2026 reboot — new power unit regs, fresh technical slate — is exactly the sort of moment big players like to pounce.
What’s certain is the paddock isn’t done with Christian Horner. For better or worse, he still moves the needle. If anything, Brown’s comments simply reflect where the sport is right now: McLaren on top, Red Bull still lethal on Sundays, and a vacuum of influence forming in the background as teams arm up for the next regulation era.
One last note from Brown that’ll please the purists: despite the boardroom churn, he’s in no doubt about Verstappen’s level. If McLaren knocked Red Bull and Max off their perch in 2025, they did it the hard way — against a driver he calls the best of this era, and a team that, even mid-shake-up, very nearly dragged the whole thing back.
Keep an eye on the off-track grid as much as the on-track one. Horner’s next move might shape both.
