Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull has not diminished his ambition to remain a central figure in Formula 1. Just months after stepping away from the team he led for nearly two decades, the former Red Bull boss is once again being linked with a high-profile return to the sport, potentially creating a massive F1 bombshell of a story. According to multiple recent reports, Horner is now pursuing concrete plans that would see him re-establish himself in the paddock, potentially in a role that combines sporting leadership with ownership influence.

Dutch newspaper ‘De Telegraaf’ reports that Horner has recently “gathered investors” with the aim of acquiring a stake in the Alpine Formula 1 team. Citing several sources, the publication claims that discussions have already taken place with Alpine’s management, indicating that the approach has moved beyond informal soundings and into more serious territory.

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Ownership ambition alongside team leadership?

It has long been understood that Horner’s vision for a return to Formula 1 extends beyond simply taking another team principal position. After years at the helm of Red Bull Racing, where he oversaw multiple championship-winning eras, Horner is said to be seeking a structure that gives him influence over strategic and commercial decisions, as well as sporting ones.

This ambition aligns with the idea of joining a team not only as a senior executive, but also as a shareholder. For Horner, such a move would represent a significant shift from his Red Bull tenure, offering him a more direct stake in the long-term direction and value of a team.

 

Alpine emerges as the leading option:

Speculation linking Horner to Alpine has circulated for several months. In mid-November, TalkSport insider Jon Jackson reported that paddock sources viewed Alpine as Horner’s most likely destination.

Jackson suggested that the 52-year-old could initially take on the role of team principal, with a view to becoming a shareholder at a later stage, describing this pathway as the “most likely scenario” under discussion within Formula 1 circles.

Alpine’s recent restructuring and ongoing search for sustained competitiveness have made it a frequent subject of takeover and investment rumours. For an experienced operator like Horner, the Enstone-based team could represent an opportunity to apply his leadership credentials within a new ownership framework.

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The Alpine option might well be trickier than the ‘Insiders’ think

Yet Christian Horner’s long-term aims still appear to go well beyond a straightforward move to Alpine, echoing assessments made earlier this year by this website.

As Guenther Steiner noted in September, Horner is “eager to get there [back into F1]”, but only on terms that suit his wider ambitions. Those ambitions are understood to centre on ownership and ultimate control, following the path taken by Toto Wolff at Mercedes, whose early investment has since multiplied dramatically as team valuations have surged.

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Does Horner have? enough money?

While Horner is believed to have secured a substantial payout following his Red Bull exit, Steiner was clear about the financial limits involved.

“I know he got a lot of money, but what he got is not enough to buy a team,” the former Haas boss explained. That reality helps explain why Horner is now reportedly gathering investors, rather than attempting to act alone, particularly at a time when leading teams are valued in the billions.

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Two big fish in a small pond situation

Steiner also questioned whether Alpine would truly fit Horner’s requirements, pointing to both ownership, structure, and personalities.

“I think he wants to be part of a team owning, and I don’t think there’s anything for sale,” he said, adding that a partnership with Flavio Briatore would be difficult: “Flavio and him in the top position… that would not work.”

Those remarks underline why Alpine, despite appearing accessible on paper, may struggle to offer the level of authority Horner is seeking.

Ultimately, the situation reinforces a familiar conclusion. Horner’s interest in Alpine may be genuine, but only insofar as it provides a route back to the kind of influence he once enjoyed at Red Bull. If that influence cannot be secured, financially or politically, Steiner’s view from September may yet prove prescient: Horner is more likely to wait than to compromise on the scale of his ambitions.

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Other links fade into the background

In the weeks following the Alpine reports, Horner was also loosely connected with Aston Martin. However, those suggestions appear to have lost momentum.

Adrian Newey is set to assume the role of team principal at Aston Martin from 2026, and it has since been reported that Horner would not take on a parallel position alongside Newey at the Silverstone outfit.

Steiner believes the ex-Red Bull boss will take his time before committing to a new F1 future and summed up his knowledge about the problems of Horner moving to Aston Martin.

“He can wait. Christian doesn’t need to be in a hurry,” he said given the British bosses’ financial security and long term mindset.

Where Horner could find a home in a team with similar resources to those he was given at Red Bull is Aston Martin, although one F1 commentator believes a reunion with Adrian Newey is not something the F1 designer is keen upon.

Despite billionaire Lawrence Stroll assembling a dream team in terms of senior personnel at his Aston Martin team, there have been reports that Newey has a clause in his contract which in effect bars them from hiring his old boss.

TJ13’s investigative journalism uncovered social media posts made by Newey’s wife prior to his departure from the Red Bull team which suggested her husband felt unappreciated by Horner which is why he left the team. The Red Bull boss was reported as saying the all conquering RB19 car which won all but one race in 2023, was the combined efforts of the design team in Milton Keynes and not merely the result of Newey’s efforts.

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Tensions between Newey and Horner

“Hogwash” posted Amanda Newey in January of 2024 and within four months Newey announced he would be leaving his part time design role at Red Bull Racing. Having become disillusioned with the dominance of the Mercedes power unit, Newey had relinquished his role as the team’s technical director back in 2018 and was replaced by Pierre Wache.

Whilst Newey will hold considerable sway in terms of Lawrence Stroll making senior appointments to the Aston Martin team, it’s almost unthinkable the bullish Canadian billionaire wold have agreed for Newey to have a veto style contract clause which would bind the team owner in terms of making future appointments.

With such wealth at his disposal Lawrence Stroll and the effective total control of affairs at the Silverstone based team, Stroll would be less affected by giving away chunks of equity to the likes of Horner, than would a corporate entity like Renault or another team owner like Gene Haas who micro manages his team’s finances.

Alpine appeared the best fit for the ex-Red Bull boss, but as Steiner argues well, there’s no room for two big dogs in Enstone and after his F1 exile Briatore is going nowhere.

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Shareholding structure now enables an Alpine deal?

Despite Steiner’s argument against Alpine, one factor strengthening the narrative is the team’s current ownership arrangement.

Despite Renault Group remaining the majority shareholder, in 2023, the American investment consortium Otro Capital acquired a 24 percent stake. According to ‘De Telegraaf’, that consortium is now considering selling its shares, a development that could create an opening for new investors.

Such a scenario would align closely with reports that Horner has been assembling financial backing. While any transaction would require Renault’s approval, a partial change in ownership could offer a pathway for Horner to secure the influence he is reportedly seeking.

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Silence from all sides

For now, both Horner and Alpine are maintaining a public silence. When approached by ‘De Telegraaf’, Horner declined to comment on the reports and stopped short of issuing a denial. Alpine has taken the same position, offering no confirmation or rebuttal of the claims.

That lack of clarity leaves the situation open-ended, but the consistency of the reports suggests that Horner’s return to Formula 1 is more than idle speculation. Whether Alpine ultimately becomes his vehicle back into the sport remains to be seen, but the pieces appear to be moving into place.

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NEXT ARTICLE: F1 struggles to land new race promoters

The global image of Formula One is that of a runaway success as the sport continues to grow from strength to strength. Next season will see the first new circuit added since Las Vegas back in 2023, although rumours that Madrid is behind schedule continue to circulate.

Yesterday it was announced that Portimao in Portugal will return to the F1 schedule for a two year run in 2027/8. Yet the pipeline once brimming with hopeful promoters brandishing unlimited cheques appears to be running somewhat dry.

As is often the case in modern F1, the Portuguese Grand Prix is being underwritten by the government of the country and given the exorbitant fees to host such an event, the commitment for now is for just two years.

 

Gaps appearing on the future F1 calendar

However, there are gaps appearing on the calendar and in 2027 there are currently only 23 confirmed F1 race weekends. Imola has said farewell this season, but Madrid replaces the final slot on the 2026 schedule. Barcelona loses the right to host the Spanish Grand Prix as the title for the race has been transferred to the Spanish capital.

The future of F1 in Barcelona is uncertain given their contract expires at the end of 2026. The promoters may be hoping for an extension to be agreed, although they’ve been set the task of huge infrastructure improvements to deliver by the FIA and FOM.

For 2027 the number of Grand Prix weekends cold fall to as low as 21, as the historic Belgian Grand Prix begins its bi-annual rotation on the calendar. The Las Vegas Grand Prix will also be out of contract, although it is thought to be just a formality that an extension will be agreed.

Currently there are no big F1 projects in the pipeline and even the hugely trailed new Saudi Arabia track with its 90 metre high banked turn one has not yet broken ground. Whispers are…READ MORE ON THIS STORY