Horner to replace Cowell as Aston Martin Team Principal

In the shadowy corridors of Formula 1’s glittering paddock, where alliances shift faster than a DRS activation, a rumor is gaining traction that’s got the rumor mill spinning like a V6 hybrid at full throttle.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

It’s November 2025, the season’s winding down after a chaotic Vegas GP, and the hottest gossip isn’t about the latest disqualifications or Verstappen’s tire strategy—it’s about Christian Horner, the ousted Red Bull maestro, plotting his phoenix-like return.

Word on the wind? He’s not just eyeing a seat at the team principals’ table; he’s gunning for a slice of the ownership pie, with Aston Martin as his prime target. And with the Green team’s coffers looking as depleted as a post-race fuel tank, this could be the cash infusion that turns their 2026 dreams from pipe to pipeline.

Let’s rewind the tape. Back in July, after two decades of turning Red Bull into an eight-drivers’-title juggernaut, Horner was unceremoniously shown the door. The official line was a vague nod to “internal restructuring,” but insiders whisper of a perfect storm: plummeting car performance (Red Bull’s 2025 win tally barely scraping double digits), a toxic power struggle with Helmut Marko, and the ghost of that 2024 inappropriate behavior scandal that never quite exorcised itself, despite two clearances. Horner, ever the showman, bid an emotional farewell to the Milton Keynes faithful, but sources close to the Brit say he walked away richer than ever—scooping a jaw-dropping £52 million severance package that severed his ties and unlocked his non-compete clause by mid-2026. That’s not pocket change; that’s seed money for a man who’s long harbored ambitions beyond the pit wall.

Enter the rumor: Horner, flush with that windfall and years of high-rolling bonuses (his 2022 salary alone topped £8 million), has been quietly courting investors. Paddock whispers suggest he’s amassed a war chest—potentially north of £100 million—aimed at buying into or outright owning a stake in an F1 outfit. His endgame? Total control, the kind he craved but never quite nailed at Red Bull, where Austrian overlords and Verstappen family drama clipped his wings. “Christian’s not done with F1,” a former Red Bull insider told me off the record. “He’s calling every owner from Haas to Alpine, pitching himself as the guy who can deliver titles *and* turn a profit. But ownership? That’s his white whale.”

And who better to hook than Aston Martin? Lawrence Stroll’s Silverstone squad is a glittering mess right now—seventh in the constructors’, a far cry from their podium-chasing promise. On track, the AMR25 is a drivable diva but lacks the bite to hang with McLaren or Ferrari, thanks to upgrade woes and a development curve that’s flatter than the Vegas Strip. Off it, the financials are a bloodbath: fifth straight year of losses, a £45.8 million hole for 2024 alone, and a staggering £1 billion-plus debt pile that’s got Fitch Ratings slashing their outlook to junk territory. Even a minor FIA procedural slap for late cost-cap filings feels like salt in the wound. Stroll’s poured billions into wind tunnels, Adrian Newey, and a Honda power unit deal for 2026, but with revenues dipping 27% and free cash flow hemorrhaging £400 million this year, the billionaire’s patience is reportedly fraying.

Cue the Horner hook. As Aston’s CEO and team principal Andy Cowell teeters on the exit ramp—rumors swirl of a Newey-fueled fallout and a shift to power unit duties—Horner’s name keeps bubbling up as the replacement. But it’s not just a principal gig; sources claim Horner’s pitching a dual role: operational overlord plus minority owner, injecting his fortune to shore up the books and fast-track that 2026 contender. Imagine it: Horner reuniting with Newey (awkward ex vibes aside), leveraging his Red Bull playbook to wring podiums from the AMR26, all while Stroll gets a financial breather to fund Lance’s seat and those multi-year sponsor deals trickling in.

Of course, Aston’s stonewalling the chatter—”no plans for involvement,” Cowell insisted in Singapore, though that was before the latest shake-up. And Horner’s been dialing every owner in the directory, from Gene Haas (who politely ghosted) to Flavio Briatore at Alpine. But Aston fits like a bespoke race suit: Horner’s win-at-all-costs ethos, a track record of monetizing success (hello, 124 race victories), and enough cash to plug those leaks. If it lands, it could catapult Aston from mid-pack mediocrity to title tilt, with Horner finally calling the shots as his own boss.

Another key thing to consider – Cowell was the top engine man at Mercedes F1 during their heyday. With Aston Martin changing to Honda engines in 2026, will Cowell be reassigned as top engine man for Aston Martin?

As Qatar’s lights flicker on next weekend, keep an ear to the ground. In F1, rumors have a habit of revving into reality. And if Horner’s empire rises in green, the paddock’s about to get a whole lot more interesting.