Audi pushed to sign Christian Horner: 'People underestimate what he did'

Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has urged Audi to sign Christian Horner as its team principal, with the Colombian believing "people underestimate" what he achieved.

Horner is currently searching for a route back into F1 after being axed from Red Bull following last season's British Grand Prix.

The Briton led the Austrian outfit for over 20 years, a period that saw it secure eight drivers' titles and seven constructors' championships.

He is one of the most successful team principals in the history of the sport but has struggled to find a way back in. While he has been heavily linked with Alpine, he remains without a role.

Audi is in search of a new team boss following the shock departure of Jonathan Wheatley, who is heavily rumoured to be on his way to Aston Martin.

This has left the head of Audi's F1 project, Mattia Binotto, acting as temporary team principal—something Montoya is convinced the Italian does not want.

"I mean, Mattia has an uphill battle, because I don't think he wanted to be fully involved," Montoya told talkSPORT. "Yeah, I think he wanted to be in the background.

"So I would assume they're probably looking for somebody to come in and fill that gap."

Montoya firmly believes that Horner could be the ideal person to take Wheatley’s position at the German manufacturer due to his track record of success, regardless of whether he is liked or not.

Asked if Horner could be an option, Montoya replied: "They need somebody like Christian to do that.

"I think people underestimate what Christian has done, how long he did it for, and what he achieved. You might like him, you might hate him, but he could deliver."