FIA President backs Christian Horner for Formula 1 return

Ben Sulayem expects Horner comeback

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has said he is confident Christian Horner will return to Formula 1, despite the circumstances surrounding his departure from Red Bull.

That agreement closed a 20-year Red Bull tenure that produced six constructors’ championships, but Horner has remained a recurring name in discussions about future F1 leadership moves. His absence from the paddock has not quietened speculation; if anything, it has sharpened interest in where he might resurface.

Life away from Red Bull

Since leaving Red Bull, Horner has largely kept his distance from Formula 1. He has taken on an advisory role with London-based private equity firm Oakley Capital and has also been working on a memoir. Away from F1, he has appeared at MotoGP and Formula E events this year.

His first return to the F1 paddock since the Red Bull exit came at last weekend’s British Grand Prix, almost a year after his departure. That appearance inevitably intensified questions over whether he is preparing for a route back into the championship.

Asked whether he wanted to see Horner return, Ben Sulayem gave a direct answer: “Yes.”

Pressed on whether he believed it would happen, the FIA president added: “He will get back. Where is not for me to say -- even if I know. It is for him to say.”

Results versus reputation

Ben Sulayem went further by arguing that Horner’s competitive record should not be overlooked because of the controversy around his Red Bull exit.

Horner’s departure came amid rumours of a power struggle following the death of Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, while he had also faced an investigation into misconduct allegations.

“I am a believer that when you have a team you have to forget about what this person is doing, his personality, do you want the result or not?” Ben Sulayem said. “You look at his background. Please. Everybody makes mistakes, but did he deliver? What do you want? Do you want to win or not? Do you want to give it a try or not?”

He added that behaviour still matters, but framed the question through the lens of performance: teams hire senior figures to deliver results. In Horner’s case, Ben Sulayem’s view is clear: the record remains powerful enough to keep the door open.