McLaren CEO Zak Brown said he'd be 'shocked' if Christian Horner does not return to Formula 1 following his Red Bull exit. Brown also announced the hire of Red Bull's Gianpiero Lambiase as McLaren's chief racing officer from 2028. Ex-Haas boss Guenther Steiner hailed it as a long-term talent grab.
In follow-up to Christian Horner's January comments expressing a desire to return to F1 only for a winning opportunity (see: 'Christian Horner breaks silence on potential Formula 1 return'), McLaren CEO Zak Brown voiced surprise at the idea of Horner staying away. 'Given his passion for the sport and his age, I'd be shocked if he wasn't back... whether at Alpine or somewhere else,' Brown said, calling Horner a 'great personality' and 'great operator.'
Reports continue linking the 52-year-old Horner, who led Red Bull to eight drivers' and six constructors' titles over 20 years, to a 24% stake in Alpine and other teams.
Separately, McLaren revealed the signing of Gianpiero Lambiase—Red Bull's head of racing and Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer—as chief racing officer, starting in 2028 or sooner, reporting to Andrea Stella. Brown noted this will relieve Stella's workload across team principal, racing, and technical roles.
Former Haas principal Guenther Steiner praised the move as a 'major long-term statement,' highlighting McLaren's recruitment of ex-Red Bull strategy head Will Courtenay. He predicted Red Bull would let Lambiase go early due to motivation issues, saying, 'They are not keeping him around.'
