Horner aide Hewitson re-appears in F1 with Cadillac role

Fiona Hewitson - once Christian Horner’s right-hand assistant and the woman at the heart of the ‘sexting’ scandal that ultimately brought him down - has returned to the Formula 1 paddock.

British outlets long avoided publishing her name, but Germany’s Bild has broken cover, releasing photos of Hewitson in Cadillac team clothing at Monza.

She had worked closely with Horner for years at Red Bull before becoming the shrouded central figure in the text-message affair that spiralled into a power struggle and ultimately cost him the team principal’s job earlier this season.

Now, Hewitson is back in the sport as executive assistant to Cadillac F1 chief executive Dan Towriss. According to Bild, it is “a comeback that no one really expected.”

As for Horner himself, speculation about his future continues to swirl. Cadillac was initially mentioned, though that talk faded once Hewitson’s move there became known.

Alpine has also been linked, potentially in a consortium with Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, but f1-insider.com claims Aston Martin is currently the more likely destination.

“There’s talk that Horner could not only become team boss, but also potentially participate financially,” the outlet reported. “Aston Martin has numerous shareholders, so an entry via this route is conceivable.”

Such a scenario could even reunite Horner with Adrian Newey, who joined Aston Martin this year with an equity stake. The report added: “A key topic in this regard is Lawrence Stroll. The billionaire and team owner is rumoured to be considering a medium-term retirement from Formula 1.

In this case, a sale or partial sale of the team is conceivable, in which Horner could also play a role.” Yet the same publication also stressed its sources deny the speculation. “They apparently originated from a meeting between Horner and Aston Martin technical director Adrian Newey.

However, the meeting was purely private. Former Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell is and will remain the team principal of Aston Martin.”