Horner ‘ringing up pretty much every team owner’

Former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is “ringing up pretty much every team owner” as he seeks a route back into Formula 1, says Aston Martin chief executive officer Andy Cowell.

Aston Martin are among the teams that have been linked with Horner.

Cowell said he had checked the situation with team owner Lawrence Stroll on Friday at the Singapore Grand Prix.

“It looks as though Christian is ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment,” said Cowell.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said Horner had “approached” the US-based team but added: “Nothing has gone any further. It is finished.”

Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen said the French team’s executive adviser and de facto boss Flavio Briatore was “old friends” with Horner.

Nielsen added: “I don’t know what they talk about. Everything I know is there are no plans for Christian to come to Alpine but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”

Williams team principal James Vowles said Horner had not approached them.

“We’re very happy with the structure we have and it’s working,” Vowles said. “I don’t see any reason to change from that.”

The boss of the Cadillac team that is entering F1 ruled out any connection with Horner in August. Chief executive officer Dan Towriss said: “There have been no talks with Christian Horner and there are no plans to do that.”

Horner is free to return to F1 by the middle of next year after finalising a severance package with Red Bull on 22 September.

The 51-year-old was fired as Red Bull team principal after the British Grand Prix in July.