Christian Horner is back in talks with the Formula 1 paddock.
The ousted team principal from Red Bull has been through the wringer recently, supremo Helmut Marko leaving him out to dry in his retirement and calling the Brit a “liar.”
According to De Telegraff, a Dutch newspaper, Horner is now lining himself up to buy the 24 per cent stake that might be available in Alpine as Otro Capital consortium looks to leave the team that currently sits last on the grid.
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Alpine, then Renault, was entirely owned by the French government but now a consortium owns 24 per cent of the team.
Iconic names such as Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Michael B. Jordan, Rory McIlroy and Anthony Joshua injected nearly $354m AUD for a hand in the equity stake in 2023.
Team principal Christian Horner and key Red Bull personnel had an emergency meeting after Bahrain’s race. Getty
Now, it is an open secret that Otro Capital is looking to sell their stake with sources believing that Horner is lining himself up to buy in to the team’s ownership landscape.
De Telegraff reports that “Horner does not deny that he is in talks with Renault or Alpine,” but the former Red Bull heavyweight would not comment further.
Alpine declined to comment on the news.
The team is led by Flavio Briatore, but most believe the 75-year-old is at the tail end of his career, which has been riddled with scandal.
Horner and Briatore are long-standing friends in F1 and the two have reportedly discussed the idea of Horner creating an investment group to take over the 24 per cent stake.
Christian Horner and Flavio Briatore have long had links in the Formula 1 paddock. Â Getty
Horner’s appearance in Alpine would see him take over as both a business owner and team principal, much like Mercedes’ Toto Wolff’s role with the Silver Arrows.
Leadership and stability are needed at Alpine after a woeful 2025 season where they finished last in the constructors’ championship.
After finishing with 22 points, the lowest haul of his career, driver Pierre Gasly said after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: “This is the best night of the year. It’s over.
“I told them to keep the car out of my sight next year. I’m sure we can put it in a corner at Enstone. It wasn’t the easiest car to drive.”
Currently, Horner is on ‘gardening leave’ from Formula 1 until April of next season, but the hefty $160m AUD pay-out from Red Bull will allow him to have a look at ownership avenues.
Pierre Gasly took home one of the worst points hauls in his F1 career. Â Getty
The team would relish in a strong leadership figure to build around, with Horner coming in with eight drivers’ championship under his belt from Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
Currently, the understanding is that Otro Capital’s consortium stake would have jumped up in profit by near 50 per cent due to the popularity of F1 in recent years.
This means that Horner and the investment group may need to hand out nearly $708m AUD to the French team.