Aston Martin told to sign Christian Horner by former McLaren star: "He has a very good relationship with Adrian Newey"

Former McLaren F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has urged Aston Martin to sign Christian Horner. The Briton was abruptly dismissed by Red Bull in early July, freeing him from his operational duties with immediate effect, and ending a two-decade partnership.

Red Bull made Horner's termination official earlier this week. The documents they filed with Companies House, the official business record keeper of the UK, showed August 13 as his last date with the team. He lost his position of director of both Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology Limited, with Stefan Salzer replacing him.

Christian Horner has been linked with several teams for a 2026 move, including Alpine, Cadillac, and Ferrari. However, Juan Pablo Montoya feels the 51-year-old's expertise could greatly benefit Aston Martin. In an interview with AS Colombia, Montoya expounded on this possibility, saying:

"I'd rather see Horner in a team like Aston. On the one hand, he's been with Newey for many years and they have a very good relationship, so he would be a very good fit."

Horner and Newey were responsible for Red Bull's two historic dominant periods in F1 - Sebastian Vettel's run to four drivers' championships from 2010 to 2013, and Max Verstappen's from 2021 to 2024. However, Montoya's opinion fails to take into account the Red Bull power struggle, which reportedly resulted in Adrian Newey leaving the team for Aston Martin in the first place.

Nonetheless, the Colombian driver went further to question the Aston Martin leadership, which he feels lacks an "illustrious" mind, a gap Christian Horner could bridge.

"I think I would say Aston doesn't have a strong leader. They'll have the engine, they have the designer, they have everything, but they're missing a more, let's say, illustrious mind. I'm not saying that the person who's there is doing a bad job, but sometimes you need a little more personality to lead," Montoya added.

Aston Martin is currently led by Andy Cowell, whom team owner Lawrence Stroll appointed as Team Principal before the 2025 season started. Cowell previously worked at Mercedes from 2008 to 2020 and was responsible for the team's technically superior cars in the turbo hybrid era.

Alpine needs to replace Flavio Briatore with Christian Horner, claims Ralf Schumacher

Christian Horner with Flavio Briatore at the F1 Dutch GP - Source: Getty

While Juan Pablo Montoya sees Aston Martin as Christian Horner's next destination, his rival from the early 2000s, Ralf Schumacher, reckons Alpine needs the Briton's experience and expertise.

In an interview with German publication BILD, Schumacher explained how Alpine Team Principal Flavio Briatore isn't the right leader for the team from a technical development point of view.

"I think the time for figures like Flavio is over. You need technically skilled people at the top, someone like Horner. Flavio could then help as an organizer and networker, as a face to the outside world," Schumacher told BILD.

Briatore took over as Team Principal of the Enstone outfit after Oliver Oakes, who was appointed in that position before the 2025 season, suddenly quit after a few months in the job.