Mohammed Ben Sulayem has announced that former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner will return to Formula 1. Ben Sulayem says that he plans to double the number of Formula 1 media events in the coming season. By bringing in Horner, Ben Sulayem gets to focus on the core responsibilities of his role: attending Formula 1 media events.
This new structure sees Ben Sulayem’s appearance schedule encompass grid walks, driver parade cameos, and any activity involving the drivers, whom he refers to as “his boys”. Horner will tag in to assume the remaining responsibilities, described by Ben Sulayem as “regulations, stewarding, that side of things.”
“People say to me, Mohammed, how you can run the FIA so efficiently with more events?” Ben Sulayem said, speaking from inside his Lego car. “This is what I have solved. Christian will handle the running-things part. I will handle being there for my boys.”
When reached for comment, Horner said he was looking forward to “a governance role with, crucially, no HR department above me.”
A source close to the FIA said that the arrangement has been years in the making, noting that Ben Sulayem has not been seen inside the FIA HQ since March, but has appeared in 44 photographs with Lando Norris.
Horner was seen recently at the British GP together with former Red Bull head of comms, Alice Hedworth. Hedworth’s reason for attending could not be established.