Former Red Bull chief Richard Hopkins has spoken out about the growing speculation surrounding Christian Horner and a possible collaboration with Chinese car manufacturer BYD. According to Hopkins, it’s not a far-fetched scenario that Horner – who is looking for a new role in Formula 1 after leaving Red Bull – returns to the sport via a project like this: “He hasn’t achieved everything he wants to achieve yet.”
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Horner was relieved of his duties after last year’s British GP. However, his track record in Formula 1 speaks for itself: with Red Bull, he won six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ titles. He is therefore linked to several F1 projects, including Alpine. He reportedly wants to buy into the French team, which is based in Enstone, England, via a minority stake.
Recently, however, a second striking comeback possibility emerged. Horner visited several events of Chinese car giant BYD, which is reportedly investigating whether it can enter Formula 1 with a twelfth team. There have even been discussions with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, confirmed Stella Li, Vice President of BYD. According to Hopkins, a collaboration between Horner and BYD is certainly among the possibilities. The ex-team principal reportedly has unfinished business in the sport, and a potential new team cannot ignore someone of his stature.
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Horner not yet done with F1
“This storyline seems to be gaining more and more momentum, I must say,” said Hopkins in an interview with Crash.net. “First I had to consult my calendar to see if it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke, but it indeed seems to be becoming a serious option.” Given Horner’s ambitions, who, according to insiders, like Toto Wolff at Mercedes, is pursuing an ownership stake in an F1 team, the collaboration is more than logical. “I’m sure Horner – as soon as he got wind of this – was the first to knock on the door. That also makes sense: he is still young enough and has not yet achieved everything he wants to achieve. I think he is simply looking for a share in a team. I don’t know if that is possible with a global brand like BYD, but if you are looking for a team leader, why not Christian?”
According to Hopkins, BYD is also one of the few realistic options for Horner’s return. It was previously said that Horner ‘had all existing teams on the phone’, but on the current grid, the possibilities are limited. “If you look at the rest of the grid: unless Lawrence Stroll is considering selling Aston Martin, everyone is settled,” said Hopkins. “So if the door at Alpine remains closed, BYD is probably the only option. Personally, I don’t think he still aspires to a role as team principal. Something has changed there. But we will see.”
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