Christian Horner ‘offering’ £665million for F1 team takeover
Ex-Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner looks to be on the edge of a return to the sport, as links to a rival squad have persisted in foreign media.
Dutch publication De Telegraaf recently reported Red Bull’s former boss was in talks with Alpine, with the Brit hoping to secure a stake in the Enstone-based F1 team.
Now, German outlet Auto Motor und Sport have provided an update, claiming that Horner is currently busy acquiring shares in the French outfit and expects the process to be wrapped up within days.
Horner spent 20 years as the face of Red Bull Racing but couldn’t turn around the struggling 2025 season.
Following this year’s race at Silverstone, the Austrian team’s management decided to make a change and removed him from his position.
Quickly, it became clear that the veteran was eager to find another foothold in F1 and though Ferrari and Aston Martin were briefly mentioned, all signs now point to Alpine as his next venture.
Horner Alpine rumours build as share sale expected
Earlier reports by De Telegraaf revealed that Horner had already put together a consortium of investors aiming to secure a majority stake in Alpine.
He has reportedly raised €763 million for the takeover, which translates to around £665 million.
In 2023, investors such as Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort Investments—the latter including Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds—acquired roughly 24 percent of the team.
This portfolio of shares now appears to be part of Horner’s strategic plan, with his consortium of investors said to be preparing for the purchase of a majority stake.
German media sources suggest that Horner is after sole control—a goal he couldn’t achieve at Red Bull Racing due to his status as an employee.
Lingering power struggles over recent years were also cited as factors behind Aston Martin’s decision to step back and appoint Adrian Newey as team principal for 2026.
At Alpine, Flavio Briatore is currently at the helm with Steve Nielsen also welcomed as managing director back in September.
However, the arrival of Horner could mean another reshuffle of leadership at Alpine, where 75-year-old Briatore could potentially see his role diminished.