Horner chatter intensifies as teams play down links

Christian Horner continues to dominate the rumour mill in Singapore, even as he takes on high-paying roles on the speaking circuit.

The ousted Red Bull boss is now advertised by a UK bureau at no less than 25,000 pounds per booking for business conferences and after-dinner talks, yet those close to Horner say his real goal remains a Formula 1 comeback.

Haas has acknowledged an approach but quickly shut the door, while Aston Martin was tipped as a more likely destination. Team chief Andy Cowell, however, dismissed the speculation.

"I had a chat with Lawrence (Stroll) this morning to find out what he knows. It looks as though Christian's ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment, so you can pass the question along," he said.

"I can clearly say there are no plans for involvement of Christian either in an operational or investment role in the future."

Alpine has also been mentioned, given Horner’s close ties with Flavio Briatore. But senior figure Steve Nielsen, now back at Enstone, played down the prospect.

"As far as I know, no," he said. "But Flavio and Christian are old friends, that's no secret. What they've talked about, I don't know. But everything I see and everything I know, there's no truth in Christian coming to Alpine, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

This is Formula 1 after all." And Williams boss James Vowles likewise poured cold water on the talk. "I think you should always welcome a conversation," he said when asked about Horner. "There's no point closing the door. But I think we are very happy with the structure we have, and it's working, so I don't see any reason to make any changes to that."