Juan Pablo Montoya calls on the Audi F1 team to appoint Christian Horner as team principal, following the sudden departure of Jonathan Wheatley. Horner, who was at the helm of Red Bull for decades and led the team to multiple titles, is reportedly still working on a comeback to the sport. According to Montoya, the Briton’s contribution to the success of the Austrian racing stable is underestimated and he is the ideal person to lead Audi.
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Since his dismissal from Red Bull in 2025, Horner has been looking for ways to return to Formula 1. Alpine top advisor Flavio Briatore previously confirmed that he had tried to buy into the French racing stable. The 52-year-old Englishman is one of the most successful team principals in the history of the sport, but has been on the sidelines for several months. However, his track record speaks for itself: at Red Bull, he captured eight driver titles and the team won the constructors’ championship six times.
Horner to Audi?
Audi is meanwhile without a team principal after the sudden departure of Jonathan Wheatley. The Briton, who previously worked as sporting director at Red Bull, said goodbye to the German racing stable for ‘personal reasons’. He was linked to Aston Martin, but for now there is no talk of a transfer. At Audi, top executive Mattia Binotto is taking over his duties as interim team principal, although Juan Pablo Montoya doubts whether the Italian is waiting for that role.
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“Mattia (Binotto, ed.) has a tough job ahead of him,” Montoya told TalkSPORT. “In my opinion, he didn’t want to be involved in this form; he preferred to stay in the background. So I assume they are looking for someone to fill that void.” According to the Colombian, Horner is the best candidate to replace Wheatley, given his successful track record. “They need someone like Christian,” he assured when asked. “I think people underestimate what Christian has accomplished, how long he has done it and what he has achieved. You can like him, you can hate him, but he gets it done.”
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