Alpine shareholders will be ‘delighted’ as £2.5bn-valued Christian Horner part takeover on the cards

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Christian Horner has been linked with a return to Formula 1 as he eyes up a potential partial takeover of Alpine.

Alpine were the worst team on the grid in Formula 1 last year, but that might not stop investors from making a significant profit should Christian Horner complete his desired deal.

Pierre Gasly only managed to score 22 points for Alpine in 2025, but teammates Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto both failed to get off the mark.

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However, Formula 1’s upcoming rule changes give Alpine a fresh start, and the beginning of their engine partnership with Mercedes might be exactly what they need to start looking up the standings.

This has coincided with Horner seeking a potential partial takeover of Alpine as he seeks to return to Formula 1.

GRV Media’s financial expert, Adam Williams, has spoken exclusively to F1 Oversteer and provided more details on the implications of Horner’s interest in Alpine and what it means for the Anglo-French team’s owners.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Christian Horner’s Alpine interest highlights the boom in Formula 1’s popularity and value

Talking about Horner’s move to return to F1 with Alpine, Williams said: “The sale of about 24 per cent of Alpine’s shares in 2023 to the private equity firm Otro Capital valued the team at about £670m.

“If a deal went through at the reported £600m Horner and his consortium are looking at, that would value Alpine at £2.5bn. That would be a pretty astonishing markup over the course of just a few years. It would also be higher than the industry estimations from the likes of Forbes by about £700m.

“Investors are clearly very bullish about the value of F1. More than other sports, it opens up pathways into other, even more lucrative industries. Otro have reportedly been exploring an exit for a few months now. As a private equity group, their first obligation is to their limited partners, i.e. the private investors or financial institutions who pay them management fees and fund acquisitions on their behalf.

“Average private equity returns are maybe 10-15 per cent annually, so a sale that valued Alpine at £2.5bn two years on from an initial investment valuing them at around £700m would clearly be an exceptional performance for them and their partners.  As a compound rate, that is about 90 per cent. You don’t get that kind of return in many industries.

“We know from Sports Business Journal’s excellent reporting on the matter that Renault have the right of first refusal if Otro decides to sell, so they could hypothetically match Horner’s offer. How the politics would work there, I don’t know. But as a business deal, the merits are spectacular for Otro. And by extension, it is a way for Renault to stress-test their valuation of the team without needing to divest.”

READ MORE: Who is Christian Horner? All you need to know from Red Bull to net worth

What are the implications of Christian Horner potentially joining Alpine?

Alpine are going through a prolonged period of turbulence, with their most recent team principals lucky to last longer than 12 months.

Steve Nielsen, the incumbent, would likely lose his position if Horner arrived, as the former Red Bull man would only be willing to invest a significant sum if he were in a position of power.

Flavio Briatore would likely leave if Horner came in, as although the pair are good friends, they would both want an unsustainable level of power.

It would also be interesting to see how Horner would react to having to directly negotiate with Mercedes and Toto Wolff over power units.

Alpine’s investors might soon have to make a tough call on whether they cash in on their shares now or hold on to see just how much more valuable they become.

Formula 1 is showing no signs of slowing down, but Alpine have to avoid falling too far behind their rivals, otherwise the team’s value will start to shrink.