Audi urged to sign Christian Horner after shock Wheatley departure

Wheatley has been widely tipped for a move to Aston Martin to reunite with former Red Bull colleague Adrian Newey, who will reportedly focus more heavily on technical matters following a tough stint as team principal in 2026.

Aston Martin and Alpine have been the two teams most closely linked with Horner's return ever since his dismissal from Red Bull in July 2025, and with options seemingly slim, Montoya thinks Audi should go after the 52-year-old.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Montoya was asked on Wheatley's shock departure from Audi and whether COO and CEO Mattia Binotto would be up for the job as he was announced to take over.

As GPblog have reported, Binotto will not have the team principal position permanently, and while Montoya assumes Audi will be on the lookout for other options, he names Horner as a possible replacement.

The former Williams man was also asked to comment on Wheatley's exit, with reports heavily linking him to a move to Aston Martin after only 10 months in charge at Audi.

"I think it's a good opportunity for him and I think probably one thing that drives him to go there was going back to the UK and living in the UK.

Former driver Ralf Schumacher has a gloomier outlook on Horner's potential F1 return, claiming that "nobody wants to work" with the Briton following his Red Bull exit.

On Horner, Schumacher claimed "you don’t hear much good about him" in the F1 paddock, and that while his reputation is not "completely ruined," Schumacher does believe it has been "highly damaged."

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