Aston Martin shuts door on Horner after Stroll call: “No plans” for any role
Andy Cowell has ended the speculation. After a morning conversation with Lawrence Stroll in Singapore, the Aston Martin boss drew a firm line through any suggestion that Christian Horner could be bound for Silverstone in 2026 — or at all.
“It looks as though Christian’s ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment,” Cowell said in Friday’s FIA press conference at Marina Bay. “I can clearly say there are no plans for involvement of Christian either in an operational or investment role in the future.”
That’s a sharper tone than 24 hours earlier, when Cowell repeatedly sidestepped chances to rule Horner out. One chat with the team owner later, and the answer became unambiguous.
The timing isn’t accidental. Horner, who led Red Bull from 2005 and transformed the team into an era-defining force, has officially severed ties with the outfit after what PlanetF1.com reported as a $100m settlement. His abrupt exit came in the wake of the British Grand Prix in July. The same report indicated he’ll be free to return to the paddock at some point during the 2026 season.
And he’s clearly making calls. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu revealed on Thursday that the American team held “exploratory” talks after being approached by Horner, before taking pains to say “nothing’s gone any further.”
Aston Martin’s public no was followed by another from the other end of the pit lane. Cadillac F1 chief executive Dan Towriss moved to “officially shut down” any Horner link with the incoming 2026 entrant, doubling down on the team’s support for principal Graeme Lowdon. Towriss made the comment after Cadillac confirmed its first driver pairing for 2026: Valtteri Bottas alongside Sergio Perez.
Square that with Horner’s reported ambition — a team-ownership-style role, something akin to Toto Wolff’s stake-and-stewardship model at Mercedes — and you can see the problem. There aren’t many doors to knock on if you’re asking for equity, authority and a seat at the table in the middle of a rules reset.
Still, few in the paddock would bet against Horner finding a way back. He spent two decades building and running a serial winner, and those relationships don’t evaporate overnight. But this weekend under the Singapore lights offered a clear snapshot of the market: Haas kicked the tires and backed away; Cadillac said thanks but no thanks; Aston Martin checked with the owner and shut it down.
Inside Aston, the message is tidier now. Cowell, brought in this season to lead the next phase of the project, is steering a group that’s been investing heavily for 2026 — new wind tunnel running, a growing factory campus, and an in-house power unit alignment with Honda set to begin under the new regulations. Adding another heavyweight personality to that mix, especially one with designs on ownership, was always going to be a hard sell.
Horner’s next move remains the paddock’s favorite parlor game. If he’s truly targeting a Wolff-style role, the path likely runs through a stake in a team that wants both capital and championship-grade leadership. Those aren’t exactly growing on palm trees in this climate. And with 2026 looming, any meaningful play needs to happen soon enough to influence car concepts, staffing and strategic direction.
For now, though, the phones ring and the doors close. The Singapore paddock can be brutal like that — lots of smiles, few commitments. Horner’s comeback tour isn’t over, but Friday felt like another reminder that F1’s power seats aren’t vacant often, and they’re even harder to prise open when they aren’t.
