McLaren CEO Zak Brown secretly hopes former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner will return to Formula 1. The Brit was forced to step aside after his home race in 2025 in favour of Laurent Mekies. Although Brown says the paddock has become “friendlier” as a result, he admits he misses his old rival: “Red Bull has made us a better racing team,” Brown even says.
Christian Horner has been out as Red Bull team principal since last July, but the Brit remains a hot topic in the paddock. Rumours about whether the former team boss will make a comeback, and with which squad, are still doing the rounds. McLaren CEO Zak Brown was one of Horner’s fiercest rivals during his final years at Red Bull, and he secretly hopes the ex-team principal will return.
“I think Christian will come back,” Brown told the MP Pod. “I don’t think Helmut (Marko, ed.) will come back, but I could be wrong.” The former Red Bull adviser only left the Formula 1 outfit last December.
According to Brown, Formula 1 has definitely changed since Horner’s departure. “The pit lane is friendlier, but that will probably be temporary,” the American CEO predicts. “If you look at the history of Formula 1 and the people in the sport, no one needs to worry that everything will become very boring. That’s not part of the sport’s culture.”
‘Red Bull has made us a better team’
Although Brown has occasionally traded words with the ex-team principal — the CEO even insisted last year that the ‘hostility’ between himself and Horner is real — he is nevertheless grateful for the rivalry with Horner. “Red Bull has made us a better race team,” Brown even says. “I love the rivalry. We have different kinds of rivalries. I get on well with Fred Vasseur, and with Toto Wolff. I probably get on best with Jonathan Wheatley. Formula 1 has always had many big controversies, so I wouldn’t worry too much about that. I think Christian will return, and I hope he will return.”
