Aston Martin eyes Horner as team boss Cowell set for shock exit

The Formula 1 paddock is once again swirling with intrigue, as Christian Horner has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Aston Martin CEO and team principal Andy Cowell.

With whispers of internal discord and shifting allegiances at Team Silverstone, a sensational leadership shake-up may be looming over one of F1’s most ambitious projects.

Horner’s name re-entering the frame is no coincidence. Just months after his dramatic exit from Red Bull – ending a two-decade tenure marked by eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ crowns – the 50-year-old is said to be seeking the right avenue back onto the grid.

His settlement with Red Bull, widely believed to be between $70–100 million, only fueled speculation that he was gearing up for a grand return.

Turmoil at Aston Martin 

Horner has already sounded out multiple teams, from Haas to Ferrari, and even explored the idea of buying into Alpine. But according to a major BBC investigation, Aston Martin has quietly vaulted to the top of that list.

The trigger? A deteriorating relationship between current boss Andy Cowell and the team’s newest megastar signing, Adrian Newey.

Newey, who stunned the sport by joining Aston Martin as managing technical partner, is central to the team’s high-stakes 2026 project. But tensions are said to have flared behind the scenes, with disagreements between Cowell and Newey reportedly escalating over recent months.

And while Cowell occupies the more senior position on paper, Newey is Aston Martin’s crown jewel – its highest earner, a minority shareholder, and the man Lawrence Stroll hired to lead the team’s transformation.

The team refused to comment on the reports, saying only: “The team will not be engaging in rumour or speculation. The focus is on maximising performance in the remaining races and preparing for 2026.”

A Beneficial Reunion - or a Move Too Far?

A Horner – Newey reunion sounds like a fairytale for an organisation desperate for results, but there is a thorny caveat: the pair’s relationship fractured during the scandal that engulfed Red Bull last winter.

Horner was accused of inappropriate behaviour toward a female employee – allegations he denied and was ultimately cleared of – but the fallout is understood to have contributed to Newey’s departure from the team he helped turn into a juggernaut.

That history adds a layer of volatility to the possibility of Horner stepping into Cowell’s seat. Even for a man known for political dexterity in the paddock, navigating Newey’s newfound power at Aston would be a delicate dance.

Aston Martin’s struggles this season make the stakes even higher. The team sits seventh in the standings with two rounds to go – an astonishing drop-off from its early-2023 resurgence.

• Read also: Brown says Drive to Survive fame ‘changed’ Horner

Billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll has poured vast sums into the project, from a state-of-the-art factory to a roster of heavyweight engineering hires. Now, with 2026 looming and expectations rising, a leadership reset may be deemed essential.

If Horner proves too contentious a choice, Aston Martin is believed to be considering alternative heavyweights, including both former McLaren boss Andreas Seidl and former Aston Martin CEO Martin Whitmarsh.

But for now, the spotlight lingers on Horner – the paddock’s great political operator – standing on the brink of an audacious comeback. Whether Aston Martin will take that gamble remains the question fueling F1’s latest power saga.

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