Former F1 driver sees no path back to Red Bull for Christian Horner

It was on July 9 last year that the Milton Keynes-based team announced the immediate dismissal of its former CEO and team principal, with Laurent Mekies promoted from Racing Bulls as his replacement. The Frenchman’s impact was quickly felt, as shown by Max Verstappen’s remarkable title charge, with the Dutchman coming close to securing a fifth world championship despite having to recover a deficit of more than 100 points.

Speaking to a betting site, Montoya dismissed the possibility of Horner ever returning to Red Bull, arguing that the team’s pride would never allow such a move to happen. The former Formula 1 driver instead suggested that teams such as Alpine, Aston Martin or Haas could benefit far more from bringing in someone with Horner’s experience and leadership qualities: "Red Bull's pride would not allow Horner's return. For teams like Alpine, Aston Martin or Haas, signing someone like Christian could be the right answer from many ways."

Montoya also pointed to Flavio Briatore as an example of how a high-profile return can still have an immediate impact in Formula 1: "A good example is Briatore. Flavio had disappeared from the sport for about twenty years. He came back and, like it or not, those cars started to run better. He immediately arranged the Mercedes deal."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has openly backed a potential Formula 1 comeback for Horner, insisting the former Red Bull team principal remains an important figure for both the sport and the wider motorsport world.

Ben Sulayem highlighted Horner’s long track record of success in Formula 1 and suggested that criticism often comes as a consequence of being at the top for so long. The FIA president also revealed that the two remain in regular contact and admitted he personally misses Horner’s presence in the paddock.

According him, Horner is eager to return to Formula 1 in the future and would have no trouble finding a new opportunity in the sport, with the FIA chief convinced any comeback would feel as though he had never been away: "We would welcome him back, and someone like him will always find his way. I always say to him, you talk too much, but you don't mean anything bad. He has a clean heart. He wants to come back. As I said, I talk to him regularly, and I feel he will be back. When he comes back, it will be like he went for a vacation."