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Christian Horner appears to have his sights set on returning to the Formula 1 paddock after his Red Bull exit, and the links to Alpine are not going away.
Alpine will launch their car on 23 January, and drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto will be hoping for a far more competitive vehicle than last season.
After finishing bottom of the constructors’ championship in 2025, and while they turned their attention to the upcoming rule changes earlier than many of their rivals, it has not helped their reputation in the paddock.
The most influential figures within each team will appreciate how important being part of the process of designing and building a car is from the very start.
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
Adrian Newey joining Aston Martin in March means that even he wouldn’t have been present when the building blocks of their 2026 car were being put in place.
Christian Horner, if he is going to invest in Alpine, will want to be able to influence decisions as quickly as possible.
However, Renault have one concern about Horner investing in Alpine, which means a decision could be delayed until at least September.
READ MORE: Who is Christian Horner? All you need to know from Red Bull to net worth
Alpine want to delay Christian Horner investment decision over Mercedes ‘arch-rivals’ concerns
A report from F1 Insider has shared more details about Horner’s potential next step back into the sport.
The report suggests that Horner might be being advised by Bernie Ecclestone to invest in Aston Martin, despite their public suggestions that they don’t want to hire the 52-year-old.
When speculation was increasing that a deal might be done between Horner and Aston Martin, they quickly moved to appoint Adrian Newey as team principal.
Newey and Horner could work together again, but it’s unknown whether he would be given the control he would like if he joined the Silverstone-based team.
Ecclestone has suggested to Horner that he wouldn’t invest in Alpine, and on top of this, it’s yet to be seen whether his Red Bull severance clause blocks him from immediately becoming an investor in a rival team.
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On top of this, Alpine are believed not to want to make a decision on a partial sale until September.
This is partially because Alpine will begin using Mercedes power units this season, and Horner and their team principal, Toto Wolff, are still considered ‘arch-rivals’.
By September, Alpine will know just how competitive Mercedes’ power units are, and while Wolff would have no control over which engines the Anglo-French team receive, bosses want their relationship to start as strongly as possible going forward, which might not be possible with Horner involved.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage
F1 fans are excited after hearing Alpine’s first 2026 Mercedes power unit in action
The first pre-season test starts in Barcelona in just a few weeks, although no media will be allowed to attend the five-day event.
But observers outside of the Circuit de Catalunya will be able to hear the cars on track, even if they can’t see them.
Honda will launch their power unit before Aston Martin reveal their car, suggesting they have a level of confidence in the work they’re doing behind the scenes.
Alpine released footage of their Mercedes engine firing up for the first time, which, considering how poor Renault’s last power unit was, will give Gasly and Colapinto something to get excited about.
Now, it’s up to Alpine to get everything else up to speed, especially as if Horner does come in, his past experience at Red Bull suggests he won’t settle for anything but the best.
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