Christian Horner is still facing one roadblock in Alpine deal despite having ‘enough backers’

Follow us on Google Discover

Christian Horner is currently in negotiations with Otro Capital over the purchase of their shares in the Alpine F1 team. However, the former Red Bull boss has told a confidante about one roadblock he is still facing to get the deal over the line.

Following confirmation from Flavio Briatore during Alpine’s 2026 F1 season launch event, Christian Horner is currently in the midst of negotiating a deal with Otro Capital to acquire a stake in the racing outfit.

After being ousted from his position as the team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing last summer, Horner is adamant about returning to the paddock with shares in a team to ensure that he can’t fall foul of a similar fate in the future.

While Ralf Schumacher has heard that the deal has already been ‘decided’, Horner is still facing one major roadblock in getting Otro Capital to sign off on it.

• READ MORE: Bernie Ecclestone pushed ‘very hard’ for Christian Horner to turn 19-podium team into Red Bull

Would you like to see Christian Horner revive his rivalry with Toto Wolff?

Horner could make his F1 comeback with Alpine, who will have Mercedes engines from 2026 to 2030

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Christian Horner is facing difficulties due to F1 investors being wary of selling their skyrocketing shares

During a recent appearance on De Telegraaf’s F1 podcast, former F1 driver Christijan Albers shared a recent conversation he had with Horner after bumping into the ex-Red Bull boss at an auction in Paris.

Albers entered 46 Grands Prix during his two-and-a-half year active career in F1, and spent his rookie season at Minardi, just one year before it was bought out by Red Bull and rebranded to what is now known as Racing Bulls.

The Dutchman initially revealed how Horner really feels about his exit from the Austrian constructor, seven months down the line.

He said, “He came up to me, and I just stood there talking to him for an hour. And he is still trying to keep a little contact with Max. He has this feeling, he doesn’t know if the team is better off. But I just spoke to him very honestly.

“We had a moment, talked about his departure, what he thought of it, and what I thought about it. At a certain point, it’s a situation that simply can’t be sustained anymore. And he agreed with that himself. At a certain point, it wasn’t possible anymore.”

Asked if the 52-year-old mentioned anything about his potential new venture with Alpine, Albers replied, “So, he told me that he has enough backers behind him to see if there’s a possibility.

“But few teams want to sell because the value has skyrocketed, of course. And that’s why a lot of teams are holding on to their shares for now.”

Racing Bulls is reportedly Horner’s back-up plan if Renault does end up blocking his bid to purchase Otro Capital’s stake.

Red Bull have batted away every previous advance regarding a sale of the team, but it is understood that the company’s managing director, Oliver Mintzlaff, is still on speaking terms with the British executive, and may look to sell Racing Bulls in order to focus resources on the frontrunning outfit.

• READ MORE: Ford boss says Red Bull have escaped an era of ‘controversy’ after Christian Horner’s exit

What changes would you make to our list?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Christijan Albers thinks Alpine’s switch to Mercedes power units will further hinder Christian Horner’s plans

Alpine occupied the bottom spot of the constructors’ championship last season, following a disappointing campaign for the Enstone-based F1 outfit, which could have been the perfect time for Horner to get the deal sorted.

With the 2026 season now upon us, things are looking a lot more optimistic for Alpine due to their new engine partnership with the team that has been suggested to have the benchmark power unit: Mercedes.

According to Albers, this has made Otro Capital even more wary of selling up. He added, “What I also find interesting is that you must also imagine that they want to see this season as well because last year, they didn’t really have a fantastic season. With all due respect.

“Now they are, of course, getting the Mercedes engine. Maybe they have something in the pipeline that we don’t know about.

“Maybe the car can perform better. That only ensures that the value becomes even more valuable.”