What Christian Horner said when asked about rumoured talks with Alpine F1 team

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Christian Horner is reportedly in talks to buy a stake in the Alpine F1 team and return to the paddock. The former Red Bull boss is able to join another team from next spring onwards.

Horner negotiated a lucrative settlement with Red Bull after being sacked in July, four and a half years before the end of his contract. It appears that he wants to make his comeback as quickly as possible.

It’s been clear since the outset that Horner wants a stake in a team, rather than simply replicating the role he held for 20 years at Red Bull.

Could Christian Horner really work with Renault?

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And according to De Telegraaf, he now has the required backing from investors to buy a 24% share of Alpine. That stake is currently held by Otro Capital, the star-studded consortium fronted by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Christian Horner isn’t denying links with Alpine

Otro has been ‘exploring the possibility’ of a sale, having invested in 2023. They have now begun negotiating with Horner.

De Telegraaf approached Horner about the rumours, and he wouldn’t deny that discussions are taking place. Aside from that, he ‘declined to comment further’.

The team themselves ‘never’ respond to these reports, but it is intriguing that Horner has not shut the story down. He’s known to have a close relationship with Flavio Briatore, who is running the team as executive advisor.

Horner was strongly linked with Aston Martin last month when Andy Cowell vacated the team principal role. However, subsequent media briefings indicate that the deal won’t happen as Adrian Newey takes over instead.

Could Christian Horner’s past comments deny him a role at Alpine?

Briatore has been making the biggest calls since he arrived at Alpine. It’s believed that he was behind the switch to Mercedes power units for 2026, a move that saw the F1 engine department at Viry shut down.

The Italian also demoted Jack Doohan just six races into the 2025 season and called up Franco Colapinto, who has kept his seat alongside Pierre Gasly for next year.

Based on Horner’s power struggles at Red Bull, he won’t accept a role beneath Briatore in the Alpine hierarchy. A minority stake would give him a foothold but 76% owners Renault would still be calling the shots.

Briatore turned 75 this year but has no imminent plans to retire, at least according to Gasly. This could be one of Horner’s key considerations as he decides whether to go ahead with the deal.

Horner publicly clashed with Renault when he felt that their engines were holding Red Bull back at the start of the turbo/hybrid era.

There have also been suggestions that Horner’s poor relationship with Toto Wolff could prevent him joining a Mercedes-powered team, but Wolff is unlikely to wield any veto power.