Christian Horner’s absence from Formula One may be short-lived.
Horner, the famed former Red Bull boss, fired by the company in July, is among a group eyeing a possible investment into F1 team Alpine.
The French outfit confirmed Horner’s interest.
In December 2023 Alpine finalised the sale of a 24% stake to American sports-investment firm Otro Capital and a group of investors that included golf pro Rory McIlroy, NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, boxer Anthony Joshua, and actor/businessman Ryan Reynolds.
Otro, in recent months, has explored selling its stake and meeting with potential investors. Enter Horner.
“It is no secret that Otro Capital has held preliminary talks to sell its stake in the team,” Alpine said. “The team is regularly approached and contacted by potential investors, particularly given that Otro Capital declared that exploratory talks have taken place. One of those parties to express an interest is a group of investors, which also includes Christian Horner.”
Currently the primary focus for the team is to be more competitive on track in 2026, which with the new regulation era presents a unique opportunity to show a sustainable recovery of performance
— Alpine
Reports of Otro’s potential interest in selling surfaced in October of last year, with Markets Group reporting that Otro’s initial investment of about $900m (R14.42bn) in 2023 would probably fetch far more money in a sale.
Horner, 52, led Red Bull for 20 years but was officially terminated on August 13 2025, after being dismissed by the team’s parent company, Red Bull, after the British Grand Prix a month earlier.
In his time at Red Bull, Horner oversaw 124 grand prix wins, eight driver titles — four for Max Verstappen and four for Sebastian Vettel — and six constructors’ titles.
No official reason was given for Horner’s dismissal at the time, though the team was struggling to keep up with McLaren in the standings as questions arose about the future of Verstappen and rumours swirled about a power struggle between Horner and some other senior leaders at Red Bull.
Additionally, Horner — who is married to Geri Halliwell of Spice Girls fame — had been embroiled in scandal over inappropriate behaviour with a female colleague multiple times, allegations he denied.
Horner’s settlement with Red Bull at the time of his termination (he was under contract into the 2030s) was believed to be worth $100m (R1.6bn).
After finishing last in the F1 team standings last season, Alpine is switching from Renault to Mercedes for its power programme for 2026.
“Currently the primary focus for the team is to be more competitive on track in 2026, which with the new regulation era presents a unique opportunity to show a sustainable recovery of performance,” Alpine added.
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.