Zak Brown Reacts to $100 Million Christian Horner Settlement and 2026 F1 Return Rumors

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has broken his silence on speculation surrounding Christian Horner’s potential return to Formula 1 in 2026, just days after reports of the former Red Bull boss’s eye-watering $100 million settlement surfaced.

Christian Horner, one of the most decorated team principals in F1 history, was dismissed by Red Bull Racing after July’s British Grand Prix following more than 20 years at the helm. Under his leadership, Red Bull clinched six Constructors’ Championships and eight Drivers’ titles, split between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Laurent Mekies, formerly of Racing Bulls, was installed as team principal and CEO after Horner’s exit.

The settlement between Christian Horner and Red Bull, finalised in late September, not only ended months of legal wrangling but also contains provisions that could clear the way for his return to the paddock in 2026. Although Horner is said to be focused on his family for now, he has been spotted vacationing in Scotland with his wife, Geri Halliwell-Horner.

Zak Brown, whose McLaren team emerged as Red Bull’s fiercest challenger during Christian Horner’s tumultuous final 18 months, acknowledged Horner’s record in an interview with Bloomberg but stressed that Formula 1 thrives on its rivalries.

Zak Brown, McLare,n and Christian Horne,r now ex-Red Bull Racing Team Principal

“I think he’s had a stellar career in Formula 1; his results are lots of drivers’ championships, world championships,”  Zak Brown said. “When you get into sport, not everyone’s best friends. There’s different characters, so while we may not have too many cups of tea, you need all different types of characters in the sport. That’s what makes the sport very exciting — that Netflix effect of what happens off the track.”

The “Netflix effect” — the behind-the-scenes drama showcased in the hit series Drive to Survive — has amplified F1’s off-track politics almost as much as its on-track battles. Zak Brown himself famously labeled Red Bull’s style of racing under Horner as “nasty” in 2024, while Horner was caught privately calling Brown a “p***k” in the show’s latest season.

Max Verstappen’s Camp Reacts to Christian Horner’s Red Bull Exit: “Nothing Will Change”

Still, Zak Brown now frames Christian Horner’s departure as an opportunity for a healthier dynamic between team bosses. “If I look up and down pit lane now, I see us fighting each other hard politically, but the line is not being crossed, and that line got crossed before,” he said in August.

Whether Christian Horner reemerges in 2026 in a team-ownership role akin to Toto Wolff’s stake at Mercedes or pursues a new venture, his return would inject fresh intrigue into a sport already booming in global popularity. With the next set of F1 regulations arriving in 2026, the timing of a Horner comeback could be as calculated as one of Red Bull’s famed pit stops.