Juan Pablo Montoya speculates if former Red Bull boss Christian Horner might never return to F1

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya opened up about Christian Horner and shared his thoughts on whether the former Red Bull boss will return to the sport in the near future. Speaking about it, Montoya stated that he was not sure if Horner wants to return, but revealed that if the deal allows him to work in F1, he would have hired him in "two seconds."

Following the conclusion of the British GP, Red Bull sacked Christian Horner and appointed Laurent Mekies in charge. With this, the Austrian team parted ways with its boss for the first time in 20 years.

The primary reason behind Horner's dismissal is believed to be Red Bull's constant downward spiral in terms of performance, where Max Verstappen, the team's star driver, won only two races out of 14.

Furthermore, reports say that Horner's involvement in a controversy last year, where he was allegedly involved in inappropriate conduct, also played a part. In the end, Red Bull sacked Horner and put him out of charge immediately.

Following his departure from the team, Horner was out of touch with the sport, and there are currently no reports that link his return. Amid this, Montoya shared his thoughts on Horner's return, and here's what he said:

"If Christian has the chance, he’ll come back," Montoya said MontoyAS. "Whether he wants to or not, we don’t know. With everything that happened and the payout Red Bull must have given him, he’s financially set."

"Maybe part of the deal was that he can’t work in F1 again, that’s the only thing that would stop him. But if I were running a team like Aston Martin, Cadillac, Alpine, Haas, I’d hire him in two seconds," Montoya further added.

During his tenure as a team principal, Christian Horner helped Red Bull win six Constructors' Championships in 20 years, and helped its drivers claim eight Drivers' Titles.

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Christian Horner shared his thoughts on his time with Red Bull

Christian Horner touched upon his time at Red Bull, days after his dismissal. Speaking about his time at the Milton Keynes-based team, here's what the British boss said:

Christian Horner, Former Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing - Source: Getty

"When I arrived 20 years ago, with a few less grey hairs, I walked into a team and I didn’t know what to expect but I was immediately welcomed. We then started to build what became a powerhouse in Formula One. Watching and being part of this team has been the biggest privilege in my life." (As per Sky Sports F1)

Laurent Mekies replaced Christian Horner from the 2025 Belgian GP and has undertaken two GPs so far. Currently, Red Bull are in P4 in the Constructors' Championship with 194 points, as Max Verstappen is in P4 in the Drivers' Championship with 187 points, while Yuki Tsunoda is in P18 with 10 points.