A timeline for one of Christian Horner’s potential pathways back into the Formula 1 paddock has emerged after PlanetF1.com discovered a clause in Alpine company documents.
Having been sidelined since last year’s British Grand Prix, the ex-Red Bull boss will be free to return to work within F1 in the coming months, should an appropriate opportunity present itself.
Alpine document reveals possible Christian Horner acquisition timeline
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Horner is one of the most decorated team principals in F1 history, having amassed eight drivers’ and six constructors’ world championships during his two-decade tenure at Red Bull.
Since being axed in the days that followed the British Grand Prix, he has kept a low profile, but is known to harbour interest in an F1 return.
What that looks like remains unclear, though it’s expected it will see him take on a more senior position than he previously held. In addition, it’s understood he considers ownership of the team – even if only a slice of it – a key factor.
Given that criteria, there are two clear candidates: Alpine and Aston Martin – though it’s possible there are other options open to Horner, too.
But of those two teams, the latter appears to offer the fastest route to success.
It has expansive new facilities, including a state-of-the-art wind tunnel, and workforce that has been supplemented with some big-name arrivals in recent months.
Headline among those is former colleague Adrian Newey, who was tempted from Red Bull with promise of becoming a shareholder at the team that is now Honda’s factory operation.
In many ways, the ingredients are there, waiting for someone to blend them together – something Horner is demonstrably capable of. Moreover, team owner Lawrence Stroll has shown he’s willing to part with equity, but whether that is the challenge that appeals is unknown.
As an organisation, Alpine has under-performed in recent seasons and is well positioned for transformation – much as Stroll has instigated at Aston Martin.
Those tasks are not the work of a moment but, over a period, would build not only the team into a more robust competitor but also add significant value to its bottom line.
Publicly, Renault (which is majority owner of the team) has continually reaffirmed that it is not for sale and is fully committed to F1. It has rejected bids of more than $1billion.
Hence, acquiring it now, when it is arguably at its lowest ebb, makes a good deal of sense.
Stoking the flames of a Horner-Alpine tie up are reports that its minority investor, Otro Capital (as part of a consortium), is interested in selling.
That consortium acquired a 24 per cent stake in the F1 team in mid-2023 suggesting there is – or at least was – a degree of willingness on Renault’s part to share ownership.
The 24 per cent stake cost Otro €200million (around $216m) in June 2023, with the team as a whole valued at the time at about $900million.
In November 2025, Forbes suggested the team was worth in the region of $2.45billion, a sum which values Otro’s piece of the pie at $588million – a ROI of 170 per cent in little more than two years.
It is therefore logical that if Otro offloads its slice, it does so to Horner.
However, company documents obtained by PlanetF1.com reveal clauses surrounding how the transfer of shares in the team must be managed.
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While Horner is thought to have secured sufficient funding to acquire Otro’s holding, there are layers of clauses which complicate such a sale taking place.
That includes limitations on Otro in terms of when it can voluntarily part with its shares, with documents discovered by PlanetF1.com noting that a sale to a third party can only occur “after the date which is three (3) years after the date of adoption of these articles.”
The document is dated September 13, 2023. Furthermore, it outlines that the sale can only proceed with the approval of Renault.
Put another way, Horner cannot directly acquire Otro’s slice in the Alpine F1 team until mid-September while Renault could – at which point there would presumably be no limitation on what it does.
It makes for a complex web for any potential sale, and perhaps goes some way to explain why the apparent urgency to return to the F1 paddock has seemingly cooled from the Horner camp.
But one can understand why Otro might be interested in cashing in its chips.
A 170 per cent ROI is a strong return, but leaves room for growth for the next investor, though that depends on the team’s ability to drive forward.
That’s something Horner has experience of, and seemingly with the finances available to him to make it happen, he makes for an attractive business partner for Renault.
What is clear is that, while Otro holds a 24 per cent stake in the operation, it’s the French car manufacturer which is in the driver’s seat when it comes to its exit.
As for whether that heralds a Horner arrival remains to be seen. On paper, it’s a good option for him, but it’s one of several he has available to him.
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