Christian Horner

Christian Horner F1 return 'delayed'

Sheona Mountford Thursday 8 January 2026 17:43

Christian Horner's return to F1 could be delayed after a stake sale deadline at Alpine has been revealed.

The 52-year-old hasn't been seen in the F1 paddock since July, following his dismissal as Red Bull team principal.

Horner has been linked to most F1 teams for a potential return, but none so strongly as Alpine, with Dutch publication De Telegraaf revealing that the former team principal was in talks to purchase a stake in the Enstone-based outfit.

The Brit is reportedly eyeing up Otro Capital's 24 per cent share, but a recent report for Sport1 suggests this process could be delayed.

Horner return will have to wait

Sport1 claims that Alpine doesn't intend to make a decision on a potential sale of its stake until September 2026, by which point the upcoming season will have reached more than half of its distance.

The report continues that a stake purchased by Horner could potentially upset Mercedes, who will supply Alpine with engines for the 2026 season and beyond.

Horner's long-standing rivalry with Mercedes team principal and part-owner Toto Wolff was named as the reason for this; but, alternatively, Horner maintains good relations and a friendship with de-facto Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore.

Otro Capital's shares in Alpine were acquired in 2023, and were then worth around €200 million, which will likely have doubled in value by then.

REVEALED: Who are F1's richest team?

F1 Christian Horner Alpine

Latest News

Latest F1 News

F1 2026 car on track TODAY for the first time

25 minutes ago

F1 Today

F1 News Today: Christian Horner return update issued as team boss speaks out

44 minutes ago

Lewis Hamilton

Here's what Lewis Hamilton is really like as a team-mate

1 hour ago

F1 News & Gossip

Valtteri Bottas admits he was 'happy' to leave F1 team

2 hours ago

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton should take this advice from former team-mate

3 hours ago

Christian Horner

Christian Horner talks 'underway' over F1 team purchase - and it's NOT Alpine

3 hours ago

More news

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.

Follow us on your favorite social media channel

Corporate & Media

Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860