Christian Horner receives major support for F1 return from powerful ally

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has no doubt Christian Horner will return to Formula 1 sooner rather than later.

It is now approaching 10 months since Horner was sacked by Red Bull, ending his 20-year reign as team principal, during which time he guided the team to eight drivers' titles - four apiece for Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen - and six constructors' championships.

Horner has been linked with a return, notably with Alpine, but so far nothing has materialised.

Ben Sulayem, who met with Horner in Paris in January, feels the 52-year-old deserves a seat again at F1's table.

"Who can remove Christian Horner's name from motorsport and Formula 1?" said Ben Sulayem, speaking to select media, including RacingNews365. "You can't. It was always successful. But success also has enemies, as we know.

"If you ask me, we miss him in this sport, and I do. I keep in touch with him. He was good for the team, good for the sport.

"We would welcome him back, and someone like him will always find his way. I always say to him, you talk too much, but you don't mean anything bad. He has a clean heart.

"And he wants to come back. As I said, I talk to him regularly, and I feel he will be back. When he comes back, it will be like he went for a vacation."

Although Horner's time with Red Bull was tainted given the investigations that took place in 2024 after allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made against him by a female employee, Ben Sulayem feels his record alone is enough to warrant a return. 

"When someone like him has that history behind him, you don't look at his credibility," said Ben Sulayem. "People will come to him.

"But also, it has to be both ways, because how do people know that you are interested if you don't show your interest?

"I don't give advice. I just give some ideas, but he's full of knowledge, his record is amazing, and I do like him. He's been a character in the sport."