Zak Brown backs Christian Horner F1 return

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says he would be “shocked” if Christian Horner does not return to Formula 1, a striking shift from one of the former Red Bull boss’s most visible recent rivals.

Asked by media including Crash.net, GPblog and RacingNews365 whether F1 misses Horner, Brown said: “Christian was a great personality for the sport. Sport always has great personalities, they come and go. It'd be great to have Christian back in the sport. He's a great operator. His track record speaks for itself.” He added that, “given his passion for the sport and his age, I'd be shocked if he wasn't back in the sport, whether it was at Alpine or somewhere else.”

The comments matter because Brown had previously argued Formula 1 was in a “healthier” place without Horner. The two were central figures in the off-track sparring that accompanied McLaren’s fight with Red Bull through 2024, so Brown’s latest view marks a clear change in tone.

Brown did not pretend Horner would be an easy opponent. “I’d rather have 10 weak team principals, but that's not going to happen anytime soon,” he said, while stressing that Horner’s presence and record still make him an asset to the paddock.

Horner, 52, has been out of F1 since Red Bull dismissed him last July after 20 years in charge. Across that spell, the summaries credit him with a title-laden run that included multiple drivers’ and constructors’ championships, making him one of the most successful team bosses of the modern era.

Speculation around his next move has persisted because his return is not thought to hinge on a conventional team principal role. The strongest route discussed is Alpine, where Otro Capital is considering selling its 24% stake and Horner has been linked to a consortium interested in a minority shareholding. He has also been connected with Aston Martin.

That potential comeback remains divisive. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, speaking via the Press Association, said Horner has “broken quite a lot of glass,” a warning that the politics around any return could be as significant as the role itself. But Wolff also acknowledged that “the sport is missing personalities,” which underlines Brown’s broader point that Horner remains too significant a figure for the paddock to stop talking about him.

For now, no deal has been confirmed publicly. What Brown’s remarks do make clear is that even among Horner’s old adversaries, the expectation is shifting from whether he returns to where he returns.