F1 News Today: Christian Horner's route back in as team boss continues big sell-off

Christian Horner from Red Bull Racing — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News Today

F1 News Today: Christian Horner's route back in as team boss continues big sell-off

The biggest F1 news headlines on Wednesday August 19

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Wednesday 19 August 2026 16:27 Updated: 16:34

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Christian Horner has been sniffing around an F1 return for a little while now since being relieved of his duties at Red Bull last July, but hasn't yet seemed to come across the perfect spot to make his return.

It's been widely reported that Horner is unlikely to sign off on any deal which doesn't see him acquire some manner of ownership stake which, coupled with the fact that he won't be returning to Red Bull (or Racing Bulls), leaves him with relatively few options on the grid.

But now there is the hint of an opening, courtesy of comments from a fellow former team principal.

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F1 team owner continues sell-off after record-breaking $12.5bn deal

F1 team owner Mark Walter appears to be continuing a stunning fire sale of his sports teams, after selling the Los Angeles Lakers last week.

The $12.5bn sale of one of basketball's signature franchises came completely out of the blue and raised a number of eyebrows in the sports business world, with Walter selling (for around a $2.5bn profit) barely a year after taking control of the team.

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Carlos Sainz seals F1 future with huge new Williams contract

Carlos Sainz has sealed his F1 future by signing a huge new multi-year contract with Williams.

The 31-year-old Spaniard has put pen to paper on a lucrative deal which reports suggest could be worth 30million Euro per season.

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Red Bull confirm Isack Hadjar replacement for Dutch Grand Prix

Red Bull have confirmed that Isack Hadjar will miss this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix with a wrist injury.

The French-Algerian driver will be replaced by New Zealander Liam Lawson alongside Max Verstappen, the Kiwi stepping up from Racing Bulls for the weekend.

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Honda expert predicts major leap forward for Aston Martin with Alonso future hanging in the balance

Honda expert Yasuaki Asaki expects Aston Martin to take a major leap forward this week when they get the first major upgrade to their much-maligned 2026 power unit.

The expensively-assembled team, headed by design genius Adrian Newey, have endured embarrassing struggles in the first half of the season.

Some of those struggles came courtesy of a power unit which not only lagged behind its rivals for raw speed, but also caused vibrations so bad that they risked permanent nerve damage to drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

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Official: F1 star Alex Albon signs new contract to stay at Williams

Williams have confirmed one half of their driver lineup for 2027 with Alex Albon signing a new contract with the struggling team.

The future of both the 30-year-old Albon and team-mate Carlos Sainz had appeared uncertain with the iconic brand suffering a really difficult start to 2026.

A significantly overweight car has hampered both drivers, and Williams currently sit a lowly ninth in the constructors' standings. That is a significant drop from the team's fifth-placed finish in 2025.

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Carlos Sainz 'set to sign' massive contract before Dutch Grand Prix

After a summer of speculation about his future with the team, a new report has claimed that Carlos Sainz will sign a new contract with Williams in the days before the Dutch Grand Prix.

The British team has struggled mightily for pace this year, with their development issues being laid bare as earlier as the first pre-season test in Barcelona, which they missed entirely.

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Red Bull swoop for Mercedes star and top insider is shocked by stunning signing

Red Bull shocked the F1 paddock by swooping for superstar Mercedes talent scout Gwen Lagrue, and insiders are very very impressed by the move.

The Milton Keynes team have struggled so far in 2026, with Max Verstappen openly considering his future with a much-publicised exit clause in his contract now active.

The team has been hit by by a worrying talent drain in the last 24 months, with the likes of Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko, Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall all leaving.

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Written by

Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

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F1 Red Bull Christian Horner Aston Martin Carlos Sainz Williams