Zak Brown responds to Christian Horner return rumours after $100m agreement

McLaren boss Zak Brown has declared that “not everyone is best friends” in Formula 1 after Christian Horner’s $100million Red Bull settlement opened the door to a sensation return in F1 2026.

Horner was sacked by Red Bull in the aftermath of July’s British Grand Prix after more than 20 years in charge with Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies installed as his replacement as team principal and chief executive.

Zak Brown responds to Christian Horner F1 comeback rumours

Horner stands as one of the most successful team principals in F1 history having led Red Bull to six Constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ titles – split evenly between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen – since his appointment in 2005.

As revealed by PlanetF1.com on Monday, Horner and Red Bull have officially parted ways after reaching a settlement almost three months after his dismissal.

PlanetF1.com understands that Horner is in line for a $100m (£74.2m/€85.1m) payoff, with the terms of his departure set to allow Horner to mount a return to the paddock during the F1 2026 season.

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It is widely believed that Horner is likely to pursue a team-ownership-style position upon his return, possibly in a similar role to that held by long-term adversary Toto Wolff, who as well as acting as team principal and chief executive owns a third of the Mercedes team.

PlanetF1.com understands that Horner is not currently in active discussions over an F1 comeback with his current focus on his family.

As reported by PlanetF1.com, Horner was spotted enjoying a break in Scotland with his wife Geri on Saturday.

Brown and Horner were embroiled in a bitter rivalry over the latter’s final 18 months in charge as the McLaren team emerged as the most serious threat to Verstappen.

Brown famously branded Red Bull’s style of racing under Horner as “nasty” in 2024, with Horner heard privately describing Brown as “a p***k” in the latest series of hit Netflix show Drive to Survive.

Asked about the rumours that Horner could mount a return in 2026, Brown told Bloomberg: “I think he’s had a stellar career in Formula 1.

“His results are lots of drivers’ championships, [constructors’] world championships.

“I think when you get into sport, not everyone’s best friends.

“There’s different characters, so while we may not have too many cups of tea, as we say in England, you need all different types of characters in the sport.

“I think that’s what makes the sport very exciting. That’s that kind of the Netflix effect: what happens off the track.

“I think our sport’s unique in that not only is the competition on the field of play extremely exciting, there’s a lot of competition off the field of play.

“And it’s a small group of team bosses and drivers, so I think the fans can get to know us all.

“I’ve got my friends in pitlane and some that aren’t, but I think that’s what makes it exciting and it’s authentic and genuine.”

Brown’s latest comments come after he argued in August that meetings between team bosses will be healthier as a result of Horner’s departure.

The McLaren man’s comments were echoed by Wolff, who branded Horner an “a**hole” and claimed that he operated to a different set of standards to his rival team principals.

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