NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ENG - JULY 05: Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner enters the paddock before the FP3 session at the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain on July 05, 2025 at Silverstone Circuit in Northampton, England. Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUL 05 F1 British Grand Prix EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon250705002
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ENG - JULY 05: Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner enters the paddock before the FP3 session at the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain on July 05, 2025 at Silverstone Circuit in Northampton, England. Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUL 05 F1 British Grand Prix EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon250705002
Jul 10, 2026, 5:52 PM CUT
"He will get back": Christian Horner will return to F1, claims FIA President
It isn't rocket science to figure out that Christian Horner still holds a lot of respect within the F1 community, and this includes the FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
In an interaction with ESPN sometime after the British Grand Prix, Ben Sulayem, who has previously been vocal about his thoughts on seeing Horner back in F1, once again reaffirmed the same belief. His next comment also made Horner’s return a matter of when, not if.
“He will get back. Where is not for me to say — even if I know. It is for him to say."
F1 Grand Prix Of China Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands at the 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, round 2 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, WM, Weltmeisterschaft at Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China, on March 15, 2026. Shanghai Shanghai China PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xWanxMikhailxRoslanx originalFilename:roslan-formula1260315_npljr.jpg
F1 Grand Prix Of China Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands at the 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, round 2 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, WM, Weltmeisterschaft at Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China, on March 15, 2026. Shanghai Shanghai China PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xWanxMikhailxRoslanx originalFilename:roslan-formula1260315_npljr.jpg
The former Red Bull Team Principal was seen at the British Grand Prix after a lengthy period of keeping a low profile. During his disappearance from the sport, he has been linked to a large number of teams for a potential return.
While there were some talks of purchasing Otro Capital’s stake in Alpine, it is believed that Renault, which still holds veto power till September, has used it to block any offers from Horner. More recently, after BYD confirmed its intentions to enter F1, there were reports of the Chinese automaker meeting Horner at Cannes.
Horner was also linked to potentially joining either Audi or Aston Martin, both of which crucially need an experienced leader.
If the FIA President’s comments from the ESPN interview are anything to go by, some interesting developments have already taken place, and it may only be a matter of time before we finally get some concrete news.
Interestingly, the former Red Bull Team Principal was also seen at the Spanish MotoGP earlier this year, which could also mean something, or nothing, depending on your perspective.
What Bernie Ecclestone had hoped Christian Horner would do
The 95-year-old former F1 executive also spoke to racingnews365 recently, revealing that he had hoped to see Horner at Ferrari after his departure from Red Bull.
He also highlighted the complexity of Horner’s current situation, noting that his return to Formula 1 will be anything but straightforward, despite his accomplishments.
“Christian's in a difficult position anyway. Wherever he goes, if he doesn't succeed, people will say, 'Ah, Christian, you were very good when you were with Red Bull with big budgets and things like that, and that now you are not winning because of that', or something.
"So, it's difficult for him. I speak to him quite a bit. Early on, I was trying to convince him to try and be at Ferrari.”
Written by
Aaradhya Singh
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason