Ex-Red Bull F1 chief makes Christian Horner prediction amid BYD links
BYD has some interest in entering Formula 1, but how might such an entry actually look?
Former Red Bull F1 executive Richard Hopkins has weighed in on the reported talks between Christian Horner and BYD.
Hopkins has weighed in on why he thinks the partnership could appeal to Horner as he considers a return to Formula 1.
Richard Hopkins explains why BYD could be Christian Horner F1 return
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Horner was removed from an operational role following last year’s British Grand Prix.
He officially parted ways with Red Bull in September with a settlement believed to be in the ballpark of $100 million. He is also now free to return to the F1 paddock.
Horner has been linked with several options, including joining Aston Martin with former colleague Adrian Newey, suggestions he could take over from Fred Vasseur at Ferrari, and joining a consortium in purchasing a 24 per cent slice of Alpine.
More recently, PlanetF1.com revealed that he’s been in talks with Chinese EV and hybrid electric car manufacturer BYD.
Horner is understood to have held several meetings with BYD vice-president Stella Li in Cannes, with BYD posting footage of Horner attending its ‘Cannes Night’ event.
Li had previously confirmed that the Chinese manufacturer is interested in an F1 project and has already held conversations with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
Hopkins, who worked with Horner from 2013 to 2015 as Red Bull’s head of operations, says Horner and BYD could be a good partnership. After all, Horner wants equity in his next F1 move and BYD would need a winning team principal.
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“This one seems to be gathering quite a bit of steam, I have to say,” Hopkins told Crash.net. “I almost looked at my calendar and wondered if it was April 1st again.
“But it does seem to be gathering quite a bit of momentum.
“I’m sure if Christian found out about that early, he was knocking on the door before anybody else. It would make sense. Christian’s not done yet. He’s too young, he hasn’t achieved everything he wants to achieve.
“I think what he’s looking for is equity within the team. Whether that’s a possibility with the global might of BYD, whether Christian and a consortium can buy into that team, I don’t know.
“But if you’re on the market for somebody to run a team, why shouldn’t it be Christian?”
Hopkins reckons BYD may be Horner’s only option to return to the hot seat in Formula 1 as Aston Martin isn’t up for sale while the BBC reports Renault has vetoed any bid for the Otro shares involving Horner.
“When you look up and down the grid at everything else, unless Lawrence Stroll is looking at selling out, which I don’t think there’s any notion [of] there, everything else seems fairly solid, doesn’t it?” Hopkins explained.
“So if the Alpine door is closed, BYD is probably the only one available, really. I don’t think Christian is interested in just becoming a team principal again. I think that’s changed, that’s moved. But we’ll see.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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