Christian Horner to Aston Martin F1 rumours continue to surface

08:44, 28 Nov

Updated: 13:57, 28 Nov

byTobia Elia

There's a lot on the table as the Qatar weekend heats up: catch all the hot topics in our latest paddock update!

This weekend, all eyes turned to Aston Martin, with Adrian Newey unexpectedly named as the new team principal for 2026, replacing Andy Cowell, who will remain with the team but in the Chief Strategy Officer role.

Adding to the intrigue is the situation with Christian Horner, who can only return from his gardening leave in April next season and has also been linked to the British outfit.

Aston Martin has left the CEO position open, and who knows — it could be the former Red Bull chief who steps into the role.

Adrian Newey visited the paddock this year in Monaco and Silverstone - Photo: RacePictures.

Another hot topic in Qatar is, of course, the title fight, with Lando Norris leading the standings by just 24 points over teammate Oscar Piastri, and current champion Max Verstappen, following McLaren’s double disqualification in Las Vegas, effectively reopening the championship.

The Dutchman is ready to seize any opportunity that comes his way, fully aware that the title is still firmly in Norris’s hands with so few races remaining.

An interesting debate is also emerging around McLaren’s internal hierarchy, now that Verstappen is more of a threat than ever with Piastri's loss of form throwing his championship bid into further doubt weekend after weekend.

Finally, in Qatar, the racing guidelines have also come under the spotlight, with drivers voicing criticism of the stewards and how certain penalties have been handled in recent races.

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