Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner is calling F1 team owners, Aston Martin team principal says

SINGAPORE (AP) — Christian Horner is calling up “pretty much every team owner” as he tries to get back into Formula 1 after being ousted by Red Bull, Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell said Friday.

Reports have linked Horner with multiple teams, including Aston Martin, since he agreed his departure as a Red Bull employee last month after 20 years.

One of the most successful and highest-profile management figures in F1 history, Horner was removed as team principal and chief executive in July as Red Bull’s form dipped.

“I had a chat with Lawrence (Stroll, Aston Martin owner) this morning to find out what he knows. It looks as though Christian’s ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment,” Cowell said Friday ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

“I can clearly say there are no plans for involvement of Christian either in an operational or investment role in the future.”

Aston Martin already has F1 car design great Adrian Newey, who created Red Bull’s title-winning cars under Horner’s leadership.

U.S.-owned Haas has also said there’s been contact with Horner, according to comments from team principal Ayao Komatsu in a report by auto racing website The Race on Thursday.

Horner approached the team and held an “exploratory” conversation but “nothing’s going any further,” Komatsu was quoted as saying.

Another option could be Alpine, where Horner’s friend Flavio Briatore is in de-facto charge as executive advisor under majority owner Renault. Managing director Steve Nielsen said he didn’t know about any contact but couldn’t rule out a role for Horner in future.

“As far as I know, no,” Nielsen said when asked if Horner had approached his team, “but Flavio and Christian are old friends, that’s no secret. What they’ve talked about, I don’t know. Everything I see and everything I know, there’s no truth in Christian coming to Alpine, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. This is Formula 1, after all.”

Some teams have distanced themselves from Horner, whose Red Bull tenure ended amid turmoil on and off the track.

New team Cadillac, which is joining the grid next season, issued a strong denial in August of rumors it might work with Horner. Williams team principal James Vowles said Friday his team had not had any contact with him either.

“I think you should always welcome a conversation and there’s no point closing the door,” Vowles said, but added: “I think we’re very happy with the structure we have and it’s working, so I don’t see any reason to make any changes to that.”

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