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Christian Horner led Red Bull to eight F1 drivers’ titles over his 20 years in charge, but he may now emerge as a thorn in their side by buying shares in Alpine to return to F1.
The Briton oversaw Red Bull from their arrival on the F1 grid after taking over Jaguar in 2005 until 2025. Horner was removed from his command in July 2025 as Red Bull reacted to their declining form and his fight for more power, which had even risked Max Verstappen leaving.
Laurent Mekies took charge as team principal, and Red Bull paid Horner between £52m and £80m to leave the team in September 2025. The 52-year-old was due to be under contract through 2030, but he accepted a reduced severance package to reduce his gardening leave.
Horner can return to the F1 paddock with a rival team from April 2026, and Alpine could be the Leamington Spa native’s next destination. Otro Capital is in advanced talks to sell its 24% stake in Alpine to Horner, who has spent his time in the wilderness speaking with investors.
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‘Many’ Red Bull staff members remain loyal to Christian Horner
Horner taking charge of Alpine could also spell bad news for Red Bull, as GPBlog reports that ‘many’ staff members in Milton Keynes remain loyal to their former boss. A large number of staffers at Red Bull would also welcome the chance to work under Horner at a rival F1 team.
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The Briton enjoyed ‘tremendous’ support inside the Red Bull factory during his two decades in charge. And Horner has not yet ruled out raiding the factory he built to improve Alpine in any attempts to improve the Enstone outfit’s fortunes after first clearing out the deadwood.
Alpine have ever only won one single Grand Prix thanks to Esteban Ocon in Hungary in 2021 since the Renault Group rebranded the Enstone outfit that year. Alpine have also only taken six podiums through the 114 Grands Prix that they have entered in the team’s current guise.
No team were worse than Alpine during the 2025 season, as well, as Pierre Gasly secured all 22 of their points to rank 10th in the F1 constructors’ standings. Jack Doohan through his six rounds and Franco Colapinto through his 18 appearances failed to get a single point in 2025.
Horner has set his sights on taking over Alpine, as they are his only realistic option to buy an existing team instead of creating a new outfit from scratch. But Renault could veto Horner’s takeover of Otro Capital’s shares in Alpine, which could see talks drag on for several months.
Christian Horner made it difficult for Red Bull to sign and retain staff
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Horner could make his F1 comeback with Alpine, who will have Mercedes engines from 2026 to 2030
Should Horner want to revamp the ranks at Alpine following a takeover of the Enstone crew, having senior Red Bull figures want to work with him again could help. Reports emerged last summer that staff did not want to join Red Bull because of Horner and the noise he created.
It was also said that Horner made it difficult for Red Bull to retain staff, as some felt his ways sparked tension behind the scenes as he wanted too much control. Horner was reluctant to delegate many responsibilities, and is even said to have wanted influence over Racing Bulls.
Horner’s craving for total control is unlikely to change as he strives to return to the paddock. Reports now suggest that Horner wants to take charge of everything at Alpine, which having ‘many’ supporters at Red Bull can help him achieve by hiring those who remain loyal to him.
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