Christian Horner has an ‘outlier’ back-up plan in case Renault block his £585m Alpine buy-in

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Christian Horner is in talks to buy the 24% stake in Alpine held by Otro Capital, but the Briton has a back-up plan for his F1 return in case the Renault Group blocks his buy-in.

Flavio Briatore, the executive adviser to Renault, confirmed last week that Horner is in talks to buy Otro Capital’s 24% stake in Alpine. Horner is behind one of several consortiums keen on Otro Capital’s shares, as he strives to return to F1 after being sacked by Red Bull last July.

Horner is free to return to the F1 paddock from the end of April, having agreed to a reduced severance package with Red Bull to trim the length of his gardening leave. Aston Martin and Ferrari have also often been touted as possible options, but both are said to be improbable.

Instead, Alpine have emerged as the most likely team that Horner may make his return to F1 with. But the Briton also has back-up plans, as Renault can veto Horner buying Otro Capital’s stake in Alpine through the terms of the sale of the 24% stake for £164m at the end of 2023.

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Christian Horner could buy Racing Bulls from Red Bull if Renault blocks his Alpine buy-in

According to The i paper, Renault would not have an issue with Horner buying Otro Capital’s shares in Alpine, which the investment group is demanding $800m (£585m) for. Horner may not have enough funds on his own, but an array of wealthy investors are happy to back him.

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A deal for Horner to buy Otro Capital’s shares in Alpine could progress quickly if Renault also agrees to let the 52-year-old join in a role that exceeds the CEO and team principal duties he held at Red Bull. Renault agreeing to Horner’s requests could even make Briatore’s role void.

But while Alpine are Horner’s preferred route to return to F1, he has yet to rule out creating a new F1 team. Additionally, despite being sacked by Red Bull after 20 years in charge, Horner buying Racing Bulls is an ‘outlier’ option if the Faenza squad are available for the right price.

The parent Red Bull company has rebuffed advances for Racing Bulls in the past, but it could look to sell the brand’s junior team to focus resources on the main outfit. And despite Oliver Mintzlaff being the person who fired Horner, the pair still remain on ‘speaking terms’ today.

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While Horner is desperate to return to F1, he will not rush into a deal unless it presents the right shareholding and role to have a long-term spell at any team. Horner securing a return to the paddock also appeals greatly to Formula 1’s owners, Liberty Media, The i paper adds.

Liberty Media is said to be ‘certainly keen’ to see Horner return to F1, as it feels the paddock currently lacks the ‘pantomime villain’ type of personality he embraced. Liberty is desperate for F1 to boast individual characters in the era of the hit Netflix docuseries, Drive to Survive.

Horner’s sacking by Red Bull in the days immediately following the 2025 British Grand Prix is likely to be one of the main topics covered in Season 8 of Drive to Survive, which will release on Netflix on February 27, 2026. The 2026 F1 season will begin in Australia on March 6-8.