The president of the FIA (International Automobile Federation), Mohammed Ben Sulayem, stated that he believes the former Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, should return to Formula 1 at some point.
Read more F1: Mekies clarifies confusion with Brown about Lambiase at McLaren
“If you ask me, we miss him in this sport, and I do. I keep in touch with him. He was good for the team, good for the sport. Who can remove the name Christian Horner from motorsport and Formula 1?” said Ben Sulayem. “You can’t. He has always been successful. But success also has enemies, as we know.”
“And we would welcome him back, and someone like him will always find his way. I always tell him: you talk too much, but you don’t mean anything bad. He has a pure heart. And he wants to come back. As I said, I talk to him regularly and I feel he will return. When he comes back, it will be as if he had been on vacation.”
Read more F1: Verstappen acknowledges Red Bull’s improvement but maintains criticism of the regulations
The statements come amid speculation about a possible return of Horner to Formula 1, with recent rumors linking his name to Alpine, although nothing has been finalized.
Horner left Red Bull about ten months ago, ending a 20-year cycle as team principal. During that time, he won eight drivers’ titles — four with Sebastian Vettel and four with Max Verstappen — as well as six constructors’ championships. In 2024, his tenure was also marked by investigations following allegations of inappropriate behavior made by an employee. Ben Sulayem met with him in Paris in January and reinforced the idea that his return to the grid is only a matter of time.
Read more F1: Sixth place in Miami leads Hamilton to reconsider preparation for Canada
