McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is working on rumors that tie Christian Horner back to Formula 1.
Horner was fired in July as Red Bull team principal and CEO 20 years later following the British Grand Prix, but his official departure was confirmed only earlier this month.
Briton, 51, has negotiated a retirement package that will reportedly see him leave Red Bull and leave the £80 million rich man, but the deal will allow him to return to the Formula One paddock by next summer.
Horner has already linked to things like Alpine, Aston Martin and Haas, as rumors about his future swirl.
Brown often engaged in the war of words with former Red Bull team principal when he was a rival, but commented on speculation that Horner could return to the Formula One paddock in 2026.
“I think he had a great career in Formula 1. His results are a lot of driver championships, a world championship,” Brown told Bloomberg.
“When you enter sports, you think there are different characters, not everyone’s best friends, so you may not have too many teas in the UK, but sports require all sorts of characters.
“I think that’s what makes the sport very exciting. It’s such a Netflix effect and what happens from the track. I think our sport is unique in that the competition in the field of play is not only very exciting, but there’s also a lot of competition from the field of play.
“And I think fans can get to know all of us because it’s a small group of team bosses and drivers. I have a friend in Pitlane, and I think it’s inspiring, authentic and authentic.”
What Zack Brown said about Christian Horner previously
Brown welcomed Horner’s exit in the wake of his removal in July, claiming F1 was in a “healthier place” without him.
The Americans also denounced Horner, who was hidden in the controversy following allegations of “cross the line” in his final 18 months at Red Bull.
“I’m pleased that Laurent (Makey’s, principal of the New Red Bull team) is in his role,” Brown said at the time. “I like Laurent, it’s healthy and maybe we can go back to focusing on the competition on the track.
“There are always some political aspects to sports, but I think Laurent will be healthier. I’m a Laurent fan. I’ve known him for a long time.
“Now, looking down at the pit lane, we can see that we are fighting hard politically, but the lines are not crossing, and that line crossed forward.
“So I think we’ll see a little better change. Now, if we can sit down and have a conversation about a topic that we think has some degree of confidentiality, then we can have a conversation about a topic that isn’t automatic. “I’ll use it as a political weapon.”
“We are in a better place, a little more united, a little more trustworthy, and we can have conversations about what’s good for sports while we’re on track.