Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA president, says Christian Horner will return to Formula 1 and that the sport already feels his absence, offering unusually direct public backing for the former Red Bull team principal less than a year after his exit.
Speaking to select media including RacingNews365, Ben Sulayem said he remains in regular contact with Horner and has little doubt about the direction of travel. “If you ask me, we miss him in this sport, and I do,” he said. “I keep in touch with him. He was good for the team, good for the sport.”
Ben Sulayem went further than simple praise, framing a comeback as a matter of time rather than possibility. He said Horner wants to return and added: “I talk to him regularly, and I feel he will be back. When he comes back, it will be like he went for a vacation.” He also said Formula 1 should welcome him back because “someone like him will always find his way.”
That support was rooted in Horner’s record across 20 years at Red Bull, where he led the team to eight drivers’ championships, four each with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, and six constructors’ titles. “Who can remove Christian Horner’s name from motorsport and Formula 1?” Ben Sulayem said. “You can’t.”
His comments matter because they come after Horner was sacked by Red Bull around 10 months ago, ending one of the most successful team principal tenures in modern F1. His final period at the team was overshadowed in 2024 by investigations following allegations of inappropriate behavior made by a female employee, but Ben Sulayem argued Horner’s standing in the sport remains strong. “Success also has enemies, as we know,” he said.
Ben Sulayem said he met Horner in Paris in January as speculation over his next move continued. Horner has been linked with Alpine, although nothing has materialized so far. The FIA president said any route back would depend on mutual interest, but his message was clear: Horner still has a place at F1’s table, and he expects him to take it.