Christian Horner's Potential Alpine Stake: A High-Risk, High-Reward Move

Christian Horner is reportedly seeking a minority stake in Alpine, a move that could grant him the shareholder authority he desires but would also saddle him with the monumental task of reviving Formula 1's current backmarker team. While the deal is not yet advanced, it represents a potential seismic shift for both the ambitious former Red Bull boss and the struggling French constructor.

Why it matters:

Horner's potential involvement with Alpine is a story of ambition meeting adversity. For Horner, it's a chance to return to F1 with greater control than he had at Red Bull. For Alpine, it's an opportunity to inject proven championship-winning leadership into a team plagued by instability and poor performance. The success or failure of such a partnership would dramatically reshape the midfield and test whether Horner's methods can translate outside Milton Keynes.

The details:

• Horner is understood to be targeting the 24% stake in Alpine currently held by US investment firm Otro Capital, part of a consortium that valued the team at around $900 million in 2023.
• His goal is a shareholder role similar to Toto Wolff's at Mercedes, seeking influence beyond a traditional team principal position.
• The challenge is immense. Alpine finished last in the 2025 constructors' championship and has been defined more by executive departures than consistent results since its 2021 rebrand.
• A major unknown is the team's upcoming switch from Renault to Mercedes power units for 2026, a move that promises performance but has caused internal unrest.

The big picture:

Horner's 20-year Red Bull tenure proves he can build a winning project from the ground up, but it required four years before yielding titles. At 52, he has time for a long-term rebuild at Alpine, potentially timed with the 2026 regulation reset that could close the performance gap. However, his centralised, top-down leadership style—a key to Red Bull's success—would inevitably clash with Alpine's existing culture and was partly why Red Bull replaced him with the more collaborative Laurent Mekies.

What's next:

The speculation hinges on a deal materializing. If it does, Horner's first major test would be navigating Alpine's transition to Mercedes power and laying the groundwork for the 2026 car. His arrival would signal Alpine's most aggressive push for relevance in years, but the path to the front would be a long and arduous one, demanding patience from both Horner and the team's ownership.