Flavio Briatore’s stance on staying at Alpine revealed if Christian Horner makes F1 return

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If Christian Horner makes a return to Formula 1 with Alpine, then two of the sport’s most opinionated figures could be brought together next year.

Alpine have been through a tumultuous period in their recent history and finished last in the constructors’ championship last year.

Flavio Briatore was brought in by former Renault CEO Luca de Meo as a special advisor as several team principals arrived and promptly left as the outfit’s performances on the track started to suffer.

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

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Steve Nielsen is the current Alpine team boss, but many of the biggest decisions, such as their driver line-up, are being heavily influenced by Briatore.

However, it has recently emerged that Christian Horner is being linked with a partial takeover of Alpine as he seeks a way back into the sport following his Red Bull sacking.

Alpine’s part-owners, Otro Capital, are ready to sell, which could see Horner and Briatore begin work together as partners within the Enstone-based outfit.

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

Flavio Briatore ‘highly unlikely’ to stay at Alpine if Christian Horner completes partial takeover

A report from the German outlet Auto Motor und Sport has provided more details about Alpine’s future.

It’s believed that the stake Horner is interested in purchasing is worth roughly £700m, and he’s already found investors to help him complete a deal.

Negotiations are not expected to continue until the start of the new year, with Horner unlikely to be allowed to return to the paddock as a team principal until around April.

AMuS reports that Horner would be purchasing a ‘majority stake’, which would give him even more control than the likes of Toto Wolff at Mercedes.

Horner no longer wants to be just a team principal, and whether he would place himself above Nielsen or take on his responsibilities as well isn’t clear.

It’s believed Horner potentially linking up with Aston Martin fell apart as he wanted more power than Lawrence Stroll was willing to give him.

Briatore has a good relationship with Horner, being one of the first people in the sport to react to his Red Bull earlier in the year.

However, the report from AMuS suggests that it’s ‘highly unlikely’ that Briatore would continue in his current role if Horner’s takeover is complete.

Both Horner and Briatore are influential figures in the paddock and considered ‘alpha males’ in the sport, and it’s therefore hard to see them working together in a meaningful way if Horner has ultimate power over the Italian despite their friendship.

READ MORE: Who is Alpine’s F1 executive adviser Flavio Briatore? Everything to know

How Flavio Briatore and Christian Horner once fell out over Fernando Alonso

Although the pair have a strong relationship now, Horner and Briatore haven’t always seen eye to eye.

Back in 2019, rumours emerged that Fernando Alonso could be brought in by Red Bull ahead of the 2020 campaign.

When asked about whether he was considering signing the two-time world champion, Horner said, via PlanetF1: “Fernando tends to cause chaos wherever he goes.

“I am not sure that it is the healthiest thing for the team for him to join us.”

Briatore quickly responded to Horner’s assessment, and speaking to Radio Sportiva, he said: “I have heard that Horner speaks negatively of Alonso, and I think it is remarkable.

“I can’t stand that someone like Horner speaks badly of someone like Fernando.”

It’s easy to see how this tension could arise again at Alpine if Horner and Briatore were to start working together.

Horner previously dropped Pierre Gasly when he was Red Bull team principal, and while Alpine have benefited financially from Franco Colapinto’s re-signing, Horner won’t be keen on a driver who isn’t capable of scoring points, making up half of his line-up.