Horner to Aston Martin ‘not happening’ – Stroll

Christian Horner won’t be joining the Formula 1 team, according to Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll.

Sources have told BBC Sport that Stroll claimed it was “not happening” when he addressed staff at the Aston Martin factory on Tuesday.

Stroll claimed in his speech that the team’s new leadership structure would continue to be in place as of this week.

In addition to his position as managing technical partner, F1 design legend Adrian Newey will start as team principal at the beginning of 2026.

Andy Cowell, the team’s current chief executive officer, will take over in a new position in charge of establishing relations with Honda, the team’s fuel suppliers, and vice president and chief executive officer.

After 20 years in charge of the team, Horner, who was fired by Red Bull in July, had been urging him to pursue a role at Aston Martin as a way to make a comeback.

Aston Martin’s representative denied that Newey earlier this week, who had led a tour of the factory while it was in the shadow of the sun, had given Horner the information.

In his speech, Stroll did not deny that Horner and him had spoken.

However, it’s unclear whether Newey would like Horner because, at least in part, their relationship has deteriorated.

A female employee’s claims of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behavior against Horner sparked Newey’s outrage. Horner’s internal Red Bull investigations twice found him innocent of the allegations.

And Horner was encouraging that Newey felt uneasy about politics in the design department, where he believed coworkers were claiming credit for his perceived work.

Horner wants to return to Formula One, but only if that position grants him complete control over a team.

Cowell and Newey both had different leadership styles and opinions regarding how the team would be run, so Cowell was let go.

With Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, Newey is regarded as one of the greatest F1 designers in history. He has won 14 drivers’ titles and 12 constructors’ championships.

In an interview with Sky Sports on Friday at the Qatar Grand Prix, Newey stated that “it became very obvious that it was absolutely his skill set to help the three-way relationship between Honda, Aramco, and ourselves.”

He very generously agreed to be heavily involved in that through the first quarter of that.