Last July, Red Bull dismissed Christian Horner after 20 years as team manager, shaking up the Formula 1 world. The 51-year-old had been Red Bull’s only team principal since its debut season in 2005, and his departure signals a potential power shift within the sport.
A Dramatic Exit and a Potential Comeback
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Horner was fired from Red Bull after 17 months following accusations of “inappropriate behavior.” Initial hopes of joining Aston Martin faded when Adrian Newey was appointed team manager there. Horner is now in “active negotiations” to buy a 24% stake in the Alpine F1 team.
- Horner was fired from Red Bull after 17 months following accusations of “inappropriate behavior.”
- initial hopes of joining Aston Martin faded when Adrian Newey was appointed team manager there.
- Horner is now in “active negotiations” to purchase a 24% stake in the Alpine F1 team.
- A consortium led by Horner is prepared to offer approximately 763 million euros for control of the French team.
Horner’s dismissal came 17 months after a colleague accused him of “inappropriate behavior.” Despite being twice cleared in internal investigations, the team announced that Laurent Mekies, formerly of Racing Bulls, would be his replacement. months of speculation about his next move have swirled,with aston Martin initially appearing to be the frontrunner.
However, those plans stalled when Aston Martin confirmed that Red Bull’s legendary car designer, Adrian Newey, would assume the role of team manager starting in the 2026 season. Now, a multi-million euro plan for Horner to join Alpine is gaining momentum, as confirmed by Flavio Briatore.
“Active Negotiations” for a New Role
Briatore, the executive advisor and leader of the French Formula 1 team, revealed that Horner is in “active negotiations” to purchase the team. Renault currently owns the F1 team and sold a 24% stake in 2023 to a group of investors, including actors Ryan Reynolds and michael B. Jordan,and NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and travis Kelce. This 24% stake is the primary target for Horner, who reportedly prefers ownership in any future F1 venture rather than simply a team principal position.
Rumors have circulated for weeks about Horner’s discussions with investors regarding the 24% stake, wich has increased in value since the 2023 purchase despite the team’s recent performance struggles. Briatore acknowledged these talks during the launch of alpine’s 2026 image, confirming that negotiations are ongoing.
“Right now, there’s a lot of confusion,” Briatore said. “There are some groups, I don’t know how many, six, seven; every day there is a new group; every day they call me to talk about Another. I don’t care.”
“Suppose Otra wants to sell its stake in Alpine. At the moment when someone buys 24% of Otra, we still keep the remaining 75% and we discuss it. But for the moment, this is the situation. I have known Christian for many years, I talk to Christian anyway, but this has nothing to do with me. First you have to buy the [acción] from Another, and then Renault has to accept the buyer, and then we see what happens. But there is no link with me, because he is negotiating with Another, he is not negotiating with us.”
A 763 Million Euro Plan
Specialized media reports that Horner is leading a consortium prepared to offer around 763 million euros to gain majority control of the French team. The plan,as detailed by Auto Motor Sport,involves the current minority partners – Otro Capital,RedBird Capital Partners,and Maximum Effort Investments – selling their 24% stake,which they acquired in 2023 for 200 million euros. Whether Renault would relinquish an additional portion of its shares remains to be seen.
If finalized, Horner’s arrival would bring one of the most successful directors in modern formula 1 to the alpine team. He oversaw seven drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships during his tenure with Red Bull,beginning when he joined the grid in 2005.
