Christian Horner could be heading back to the Formula 1 pit wall as Aston Martin evaluates replacing team principal and CEO Andy Cowell after the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Multiple reports from The Race and
RacingNews365 indicate Aston Martin is preparing a major management reshuffle, with Cowell expected to be moved into a more technical, power-unit–focused role as the team ramps up for its 2026 partnership with Honda.
His current position has become “untenable” after a wave of senior departures and internal disagreements with Adrian Newey, who has been reshaping the team’s technical structure since joining earlier this year.
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is now weighing up high-profile replacements, and the shortlist is huge: Christian Horner, former McLaren boss Andreas Seidl, and Audi COO Mattia Binotto are all under consideration.
Horner’s availability adds spice. He officially left Red Bull in September after securing an eye-watering £80 million severance package. Crucially, he is free to join another team immediately for 2026 — but only if the deal includes equity, with Horner adamant he does not want to return as just a standard team principal.
Alpine and Ferrari have also been linked with sounding him out.
Cowell, meanwhile, joined the team in late 2024 after leading Mercedes’ all-conquering engine division at Brixworth. Aston Martin hoped he would help guide the team toward championship contention, but differences in working philosophies, particularly with Newey, have derailed that vision.
Aston Martin, for now, is staying tight-lipped.
“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 team spokesperson said.
