It has been just over a year since Christian Horner was relieved of his duties at Red Bull, and the 51-year-old has made no secret of his desire to come back.
His gardening leave now over, Horner has been doing the rounds. MotoGP, Formula E, and then, last weekend, his first appearance in an F1 paddock since his departure, strolling into Silverstone at the invitation of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. The message was clear: he is available, he is watching, and he is ready.
“I have no interest in just being a number in a machine,” Horner told Reuters at the British Grand Prix. “If I go back it would only be in a position where you were empowered to make a change, to drive difference, to win.”
Reports have linked him most concretely with Alpine, where he is said to be part of an investor group in discussions with existing shareholders Otro Capital and Renault Group.
There has also been well-sourced speculation about preliminary talks with BYD, the Chinese manufacturer exploring an F1 entry as a potential 12th team.
More speculative paddock chatter has connected him with Aston Martin and Ferrari, though neither link has progressed beyond rumour.
“I feel like I have unfinished business in Formula 1,” Horner said. “It didn’t finish the way that I would have liked it to finish.”
The question is where that unfinished business gets completed.
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