Lawrence Stroll Denies Christian Horner’s Arrival at Aston Martin
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has confirmed to employees that Christian Horner, former Red Bull boss, will not be joining the Formula 1 team in any capacity. This has been confirmed by sources close to Alofoke Deportes. It is understood that the Canadian billionaire informed staff at the company’s Silverstone factory on Wednesday that a move for Horner “definitely will not happen”. Stroll spoke during the announcement of the team’s new leadership structure, which saw Adrian Newey, F1 design legend, join as a shareholder and technical managing partner, taking over as team principal. Andy Cowell, the existing head, will move to a role focused on engines with the new Honda suppliers. Newey’s change surprised and came along with a new series of reports after the Las Vegas Grand Prix indicating that Horner, who was fired by Red Bull in July, was the candidate to replace Cowell. Horner recently reached an agreement with Red Bull that would allow him to return to work in the sport in mid-2026. Sources have indicated that Horner remains committed to finding an equity stake in one of the F1 teams rather than simply returning in a traditional team principal role, like the one he had at Red Bull. Horner was fired from that job when he lost the support of Red Bull’s main shareholders, a fate he wants to avoid by finding another role elsewhere. Horner and Newey worked together for 19 years at Red Bull and helped orchestrate both periods of dominance that the team has enjoyed, the first in the early 2010s and the second at the beginning of this decade.Although some reports have suggested a continuous breakup between the two, sources have indicated that this is not the case; it is understood that the couple recently attended an Oasis concert along with their wives.
The role of Newey’s team principal has raised more questions about whether Aston Martin might still need a CEO to oversee the entire operation; McLaren CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella are the best example of that model on the current grid. Stroll’s comments suggest that Horner is out of the equation for Aston Martin for the moment, although other sources close to Horner have suggested that a connection with Aston Martin is not completely ruled out. Stroll has spent a lot of money on the Aston Martin project to turn the team into championship contenders under the new rules that will come into effect in 2026, which present major changes in the aerodynamic and engine aspects of the car. If Aston Martin were completely ruled out, Alpine would be the other most logical place where Horner could buy a stake and return.
