{"id":792648,"date":"2026-07-11T02:49:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T02:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/792648\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T02:49:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T02:49:11","slug":"christian-horner-setback-as-route-back-into-f1-is-dream-and-not-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/792648\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian Horner setback as route back into F1 is ‘dream’ and not reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner<\/a> may have just had his hopes of a return to the grid with BYD crushed after representatives for the company clarified the reality of their chances of joining the championship. <\/p>\n

\nThis week marked Horner’s anniversary of being sacked<\/a> from the role he held at the helm of the energy drink giant’s F1 project for two decades. <\/p>\n

\nSince his abrupt exit, Horner opted to go down the route of radio silence for a few months before giving his first interview<\/a> where he announced he would only consider a comeback to the sport if he felt the opportunity was right for him. <\/p>\n

Article continues under video<\/p>\n

\nEssentially, that means not just a management or team principal role but also a stake of ownership, similar to the agreement Toto Wolff has with Mercedes<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\nIn the year that has passed since his F1 exit, Horner has paid a visit to the MotoGP paddock<\/a> and made his return to the F1 paddock at last weekend’s British Grand Prix<\/a>, so what are the chances of him actually making a comeback? <\/p>\n

\nThe 52-year-old has been linked to existing F1 teams such as Alpine, Aston Martin and even Ferrari, as well as having his name floating about in the press regarding the potential for a brand new team to join the grid with Chinese electric vehicle giants, BYD<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\nREAD MORE: Mercedes risk disqualification with amazing trick<\/a> <\/p>\n

BYD issue statement on chances of becoming 12th F1 team<\/p>\n

\nIn a meeting with media at the Goodwood Festival of Speed<\/a> this week however, BYD’s executive vice president, Stella Li, and her special advisor, Alfredo Altavilla, revealed the company does not currently have an active project on the go to enter F1, confirming a blow to Horner’s return chances with them. <\/p>\n

\nHowever, the representatives for the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer did maintain their interest could be peaked if the championship continues to move towards a position that aligns with their technological philosophy. <\/p>\n

\nSpeaking at Goodwood in response to a question from SoyMotor<\/a> regarding their chances of joining the grid, BYD representative Altavilla said: “We are not involved in the discussion about the new rules for 2030. I think Stella has been very clear on this: we only consider Formula 1 insofar as our technology can serve the purposes of Formula 1. <\/p>\n

\n“We will never get involved in Formula 1 just to put a sticker on the side of a car. There are better ways to invest that money.” <\/p>\n

\nHe then looked to the future to lay out some potential terms that could help the company to pursue their F1 ‘dream’, adding: “If we can find a way to become technology partners with Formula 1, we might be interested; so we need to find a solution. But that is a prerequisite. So let\u2019s see how these new rules pan out,.” <\/p>\n

\nWhen asked directly about a possible motorsport project, Stella Li replied with a smile, noting that joining the competition is more of a wish than a reality. “That\u2019s his dream,\u201d she joked, referring to her special advisor, before highlighting on a serious note that the group\u2019s current priority is the development of new products. <\/p>\n

\nWhen further pressed about whether there were any plans underway for Formula 1, she clarified: “No, no, there\u2019s no such project. I said there\u2019s no project in mind. The dream is always there, but we didn\u2019t have a specific plan.” <\/p>\n

\nLooks like Horner might have to go back to the drawing board if he was hoping to execute his own return to the grid sooner rather than later. <\/p>\n

\nREAD MORE: Verstappen ‘upset’ at Red Bull over major F1 exit decision<\/a><\/p>\n

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