Christian Horner makes paddock return with Honda F1 chief

Christian Horner in Jeddah — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Christian Horner makes paddock return with Honda F1 chief

Horner is at the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix this weekend

By Chris Deeley.

Saturday 25 April 2026 17:02

Christian Horner's not going anywhere as he returned to the racetrack with the Honda F1 chief this weekend

The axed Red Bull team principal swapped F1 for MotoGP, heading to Jerez for the fourth round of the 2026 season.

Not content to just sit in hospitality and chill out with some fancy drinks and near inedible canapes, the 52-year-old was spotted hanging out with some team personnel. Honda team personnel, to be specific. Honda Racing Company CEO Koji Watanabe, to be even more specific.

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That, of course, has set tongues wagging once again. Horner has been loosely linked with Aston Martin – currently the only Honda-powered team in F1 – as their early-season struggles continue.

Horner hanging around Honda at Spanish race

Horner was in town with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, as he continues to keep a presence in top level motorsport despite being unemployed (in mitigation, hanging around people you think might hire you and bumming a few free drinks is very unemployed behaviour).

The defenestrated Red Bull chief would need a massive change at Aston Martin if he's to return to F1 with the Honda-powered team.

The friction between himself and design legend Adrian Newey is no secret, and by all accounts led to Newey's departure from Red Bull to begin with.

It seems very unlikely that the Brit would remain in position if Horner was recruited, meaning that Aston Martin would have to perform an abrupt 180 (not the type that Lance Stroll does by accident) on their whole roadmap for the current regulation period.

Team owner Lawrence Stroll isn't a man who's averse to bold and sweeping change though, with the 'it's my idea therefore it's the right idea' mindset that's so pervasive in the billionaire class. If things don't start to turn around quickly...well, watch this space.

F1 Christian Horner Aston Martin Honda MotoGP Koji Watanabe