McLaren boss 'shocked' if Christian Horner doesn't return to F1

Field Level Media|published: Thu 23rd April, 13:52 2026

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; McLaren Formula 1 CEO Zak Brown walks through the track entrance before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

McLaren boss Zak Brown said he would welcome the return of Formula 1 rival Christian Horner and that he would be "shocked" if it doesn't happen.

Horner, who was fired by Red Bull last July, is part of a group attempting to purchase investment firm Otro Capital's 24% stake in Alpine's F1 team.

"I think Christian was a great personality for the sport," Brown said at a media session hosted by McLaren this week, per ESPN. "Sport always has great personalities. They come and go. I think it'd be great to have Christian back in the sport.

"He's a great operator. His track record speaks for itself. I'd rather have 10 weak team principals, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

"And there's huge talent that's coming up, you know, all the time. There's been a lot of team principal moves here in the last two to three years, but I think it'd be great to have him back in the sport. And I'm sure given his passion for the sport and his age, I'd be shocked if he wasn't back in the sport, whether it was with Alpine or someone else."

Brown wasn't the only F1 executive who had a frosty relationship with Horner in the past.

Mercedes principal Toto Wolff said last month that Horner had left "a lot of broken glass" in the sport during his two decades at Red Bull. Wolff could potentially block Horner's return path through Alpine, as Wolff also has been exploring the purchase of Otro's shares.

--Field Level Media

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