Doubts forged over Christian Horner F1 2026 return as two rumours shot down

Guenther Steiner doesn’t assume Christian Horner will rush again to F1 subsequent season.

Horner formally departed Purple Bull final week after 20 years on the helm, having agreed a severance package deal that’s reported to have made him £80m richer.

The deal means the 51-year-old Briton, who was fired by Purple Bull after the British Grand Prix in July, is free to return to a place inside F1 earlier than the summer season of 2026.

Horner has been linked with the likes of Alpine, Aston Martin and even Haas, however former Purple Bull colleague Steiner doubts he’ll return so shortly.

“I believe he’ll wait slightly bit,” Steiner instructed The Purple Flags podcast. “He’s desperate to get there however within the second I don’t assume there’s something there for him, what he desires to do.”

Requested what he thinks Horner desires to do, Steiner replied: “I believe he desires to be a part of a crew proudly owning it. I don’t assume there’s something on the market. I do know he received some huge cash however what he received shouldn’t be sufficient to purchase a crew. Far off it.

“He wouldn’t do the rest than being crew principal. Even going to Alpine to work with Flavio, that may not work, Flavio and him within the high place. Then Flavio would want to go and it doesn’t appear to be Flav goes wherever quickly.”

Aston Martin ‘wouldn’t work’ for Christian Horner

In a separate interview, Steiner additionally dominated out a change to Aston Martin.

The previous Haas crew principal believes Horner could not work at Aston Martin because of the arrival of big-money signing Adrian Newey.

One of many causes the legendary F1 designer left Purple Bull is claimed to be as a result of he was unsettled by the scenario on the crew after Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive, abusive behaviour by a feminine colleague.

“I do not assume Aston Martin want Christian proper now,” Steiner instructed Lottoland. “I believe there was quite a lot of unhappiness internally [at Red Bull] and one thing needed to change. The change was Christian leaving, and they’re simply attempting to return to their glory days now.

“Within the final 12 months the issue between Adrian and Christian was one of many the explanation why Adrian left Purple Bull. So, bringing Christian again, I do not assume that may work for the time being.

“With Purple Bull, we might see it over the last one-and-a-half years the place each race weekend there was drama, and that has gone away. I believe Aston Martin with the individuals they’ve in place are very properly set to indicate what they’ll do below the brand new rules.”