One Christian Horner option ruled out as Steiner responds to $100m Red Bull payoff
Christian Horner and Adrian Newey propelled the Red Bull team to huge success
Aston Martin does not need to hire former F1 team principal Christian Horner following his $100 million settlement to leave Red Bull.
That is the claim of Guenther Steiner, the former Haas F1 boss, who believes the apparent “problem” between Horner and Adrian Newey means a switch to Aston Martin would not work.
Christian Horner, Adrian Newey reunion at Aston Martin ruled out by Steiner
As revealed by PlanetF1.com on Monday, Horner has officially cut ties with Red Bull after reaching a $100million (£74.2m/€85.1m) settlement with the team.
It comes less than three months after the 51-year-old was abruptly benched by Red Bull after July’s British Grand Prix, bringing an end to his 20-year tenure as team principal and chief executive.
Under the terms of his departure, PlanetF1.com understands that Horner could be free to pursue a return to the F1 paddock during the 2026 season.
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It is widely believed that the ex-Red Bull boss is likely to pursue a team-ownership-style position, possibly in a similar role to that held by long-term adversary Toto Wolff, who owns a third of the Mercedes team as well as acting as team principal and CEO.
It is thought that Horner is not currently holding active discussions over a return to F1, with his current focus on his family.
Aston Martin, owned by the Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, is one of the teams to have been linked with Horner since his departure from Red Bull.
The Silverstone-based team signed Newey, the F1 design guru, from Red Bull last year, with the team also set to enter a technical partnership with Honda, Red Bull’s current engine supplier, from the F1 2026 season.
However, Steiner believes there is no need for Aston Martin to add Horner to its ranks, citing Red Bull’s improvement since Laurent Mekies was installed as his successor.
Max Verstappen, the reigning four-time World Champion, claimed consecutive victories for the first time this season earlier this month, triumphing in Italy and Azerbaijan.
Responding to Horner’s Red Bull payoff, Steiner told a betting platform: “I sent my bank details and asked him to send me some of the money he got!
“But seriously, jumping to the conclusion that the two last wins were because Christian left?
“I respect Laurent and Laurent is a friend, he’s doing a good job.
“I don’t think Aston Martin need Christian right now.
“I think there was a lot of unhappiness internally and something had to change.
“The change was Christian leaving, and they are just trying to go back to their glory days now.
“In the last year the problem between Adrian and Christian was one of the reasons why Adrian left Red Bull.
“So, bringing Christian back, I don’t think that would work at the moment.
“With Red Bull, we could see it during the last one-and-a-half years where every race weekend there was drama and that has gone away.
“I think Aston Martin, with the people they have in place, are very well set to show what they can do under the new regulations.”
Newey’s departure from Red Bull, announced ahead of last year’s Miami Grand Prix, coincided with a dramatic loss of form for the team, which slipped to third the Constructors’ title in 2024.
The team currently sits fourth in the F1 2025 standings, trailing the dominant McLaren team by 351 points with seven races remaining.
Verstappen, meanwhile, trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 69 points despite winning the last two rounds.
More on Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin from PlanetF1.com
It is unclear whether the personal relationship between Newey and Horner would pose a barrier to the latter potentially linking up with Aston Martin in the future.
Speaking at May’s Monaco Grand Prix, where Newey made his first trackside appearance with Aston Martin, Horner hinted that the pair remain on good terms by vowing to “catch up” with his former colleague.
Horner told Sky F1 of Newey’s appearance: “It’s great to see.
“I haven’t seen him [in person] in green yet. He looks like a giant bogey [in Aston Martin’s green uniform]! It’s odd seeing him in green.
“He’s a racer. I don’t think he’s ever missed a race at this track, even going back to his gardening leave at McLaren.
“We’ll catch up with him later but good to see him here.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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