Horner Linked With F1 Return As McLaren Boss Opens Door On Mercedes Power Unit Split

Christian Horner could be set for a return to Formula 1 as a team boss, with reports suggesting he is in talks with a Chinese car manufacturer bidding to become the grid’s 12th team.
Horner was axed as Red Bull team principal in July 2025 after 20 years in the role, departing with a remarkable record of eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles to his name.
His potential involvement with a new constructor would mark a significant comeback for one of the sport’s most decorated team bosses following his high-profile exit from Red Bull.
Meanwhile, McLaren chief Zak Brown has opened the door to the team splitting from Mercedes and developing its own F1 power units in the future.
Brown was not present at the Canadian Grand Prix, having attended the Indy 500 the previous weekend, but he addressed the potential return of V8 engines running on sustainable fuels in 2031.
Should McLaren pursue independent power unit development, it would represent a major strategic shift for one of Formula 1’s most successful outfits.
Elsewhere, a key FIA rule change is set to become active for the first time at the Monaco Grand Prix, with implications for Mercedes’ dominance in 2026.
The new regulation concerns the measurement of engine compression ratios and officially comes into force on June 1, timed precisely for the Monaco race weekend.
Alpine’s Flavio Briatore has also performed a complete U-turn on Franco Colapinto, whose turnaround in performance has shifted the team boss’s perspective entirely after the driver’s difficult 2025 campaign.
During the 2025 season, Colapinto endured numerous crashes and ended the championship as the only active driver without a single point, putting his Formula 1 future in serious doubt.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has also revealed he was unaware he had appeared in the F1 movie, which starred Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and Javier Bardem and became Pitt’s most financially successful film to date.
The post Horner Linked With F1 Return As McLaren Boss Opens Door On Mercedes Power Unit Split appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk .