Christian Horner Back In F1? Aston Martin Plot Shock Move After Cowell Fallout

In a dramatic turn of events, former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has emerged as a potential candidate to lead the Aston Martin Formula 1 team. This comes amid reports of a fallout between current team boss Andy Cowell and managing technical partner Adrian Newey.

Cowell, who joined Aston Martin at the end of last year, is reportedly on the verge of being replaced. Sources indicate that he may be moved to a new role within the organization, focusing more on the power unit progress as Aston Martin enters a new partnership with Honda. Cowell's expertise was hoped to guide Aston Martin to similar success as he previously helped lead Mercedes' engine division to multiple world championships.

However, disagreements between Cowell and Newey, who joined Aston Martin in April, have reportedly surfaced. These disagreements seemingly revolve around control over the team's F1 operations as it prepares for the 2026 regulations reset. It appears owner Lawrence Stroll is siding with Newey.

Christian Horner, who was removed from his role at Red Bull in July of this year, is reportedly "pushing hard" for a leadership role and shareholding in the Aston Martin F1 team. Horner officially left Red Bull in September after agreeing to a settlement and is known to be keen on returning to F1. A severance package has freed him up to return to F1 in 2026.

However, Horner is not the only candidate being considered. Former McLaren boss Andreas Seidl and current Audi COO Mattia Binotto are also reportedly in the running. Furthermore, Aston Martin's former CEO Martin Whitmarsh was offered his old job back but is believed to have refused the opportunity.

The potential appointment of Horner could create an interesting dynamic, given Newey's departure from Red Bull was partly due to unease about the allegations against Horner and feeling undermined by Horner's comments. However, relations between the pair have reportedly improved since then.

An Aston Martin spokesperson stated that "The team will not be engaging in rumour or speculation. The focus is on maximising performance in the remaining races and preparing for 2026".

Lawrence Stroll is reportedly willing to offer a shareholding stake to the new team boss, similar to the arrangement that helped secure Newey's services. With substantial investments in a new factory and big-name engineers, Stroll is clearly aiming high for Aston Martin's future. The final decision remains to be seen, but the potential for Horner's return to F1 with Aston Martin is undoubtedly a major talking point.