Christian Horner to Aston Martin move still on - F1 insider

Photo: © IMAGO

Christian Horner

Christian Horner to Aston Martin move still on - F1 insider

Horner is yet to announce whether he will return to the F1 paddock

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 21 April 2026 20:28

A move to Aston Martin for former Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner could still be on the cards according to one insider.

In November last year, Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll put an end to speculation that Horner could be joining his team, with any deal understood to be 'not happening'.

However, that was before the Aston Martin-Honda project was plunged into crisis, with the team working tirelessly at their Sakura base to solve their reliability issues.

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Vibrations from the Honda power unit have made a whole race distance unsustainable during the opening two rounds of the season, while the problem has also had implications on the battery and caused damage.

Questions continue to swirl as to whether current team principal Adrian Newey is up to the role alongside his technical duties, with some saying he should focus on the car and stick to his strengths as a designer.

While ex-Audi chief Jonathan Wheatley has emerged as candidate to help Newey in his role at Aston Martin, there are still whispers Horner could make a move to the Silverstone-based outfit.

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Will Horner go to Aston Martin?

It is understood that Stroll Sr met with Horner in March, which were followed by claims that Newey is against his former colleague joining the team and would prefer Wheatley as an alternative.

Should Horner return to F1, it has been widely reported that he desires some deal of ownership in an enterprise, similar to Toto Wolff at Mercedes.

For this reason, Alpine emerged as the most likely avenue of return for Horner, with Otro Capital's 24 per cent stake being up for the sale.

Horner, and potential future at Aston Martin, was the subject of the Sky Sports F1 Show during the five-week break between the Japanese and Miami Grands Prix.

Host Simon Lazenby asked if a return to F1 with Aston Martin could still be on the cards for Horner, but asked if his ‘previous’ with others at the team might harm his chances of a move there.

In response, pundit and former driver Karun Chandhok explained: "The reality is Formula 1 people are incredibly competitive and even if there's some damaged relationships or whatever in the past, if they feel that they can bring someone into the team that can help the entire organisation win again or be successful, they'll swallow their pride, they'll get over it and they'll recruit whoever they need to.

"So, I think that's the question though, isn't it? Do Lawrence and Adrian think they need Christian to deliver what the organisation needs? That's the big question.

"And a few months ago, you know, Lawrence was quite clear. It was a public statement, I think, wasn't there, saying that Christian Horner was not joining the team. So we'll see if that changes down the line."

F1 Christian Horner Aston Martin Karun Chandhok