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

Horner in Red Bull kit looking down at his phone — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Today

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

The day's biggest F1 news!

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Saturday 10 January 2026 09:53

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.

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F1 team boss speaks out on future of at-risk star

Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen has opened up on Franco Colapinto's future with the F1 team, after an unsuccessful first season.

The Argentine jumped into the team's second car when Jack Doohan was removed just six races into the season, but failed to score a single point in the remaining 18 races of the year.

That underwhelming performance has had some questioning his future in the sport, especially after he crashed heavily five times in his nine-race audition with Williams in 2024.

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Lewis Hamilton risks being his own worst enemy at Ferrari

So far in his Ferrari career, Lewis Hamilton has presented two versions of himself.

There's the pessimistic champion, always ready to take the blame and catastrophize a Q1 exit, and the inspirational Instagram poster, ready to learn from his mistakes and come back stronger next time out.

So which side will Hamilton pick in 2026? For his sake it should be neither.

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George Russell brands F1 rivals 'selfish'

Mercedes star George Russell has had a go at unpacking the 'selfish' mind of an F1 driver.

Russell has raced in the pinnacle of motorsport since 2019, where he began his career with Williams before moving to Mercedes ahead of the 2022 campaign.

The Brit partnered fellow countryman Lewis Hamilton for three seasons before the seven-time champion made the blockbuster move to Ferrari, thrusting Russell into the role of No.1 driver with the Silver Arrows.

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

Lewis Hamilton's former Mercedes F1 team-mate George Russell has revealed what the champion is really like to work with.

Hamilton and Russell spent three seasons together as team-mates at Mercedes, with the younger of the pair outclassing the champion by 22 points in their final season together.

Since Hamilton's exit for Ferrari, Russell has stepped up as the natural team leader at Mercedes, claiming two race wins in the 2025 season and demonstrating why Toto Wolff should have faith in him as a future world champion.

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F1 champion claims sport has become 'less fun'

An F1 champion has admitted that modern cars are less fun to drive, despite positive advancements in regards to safety and technology.

A new generation of F1 cars dawns, with the 2026 regulation changes introducing a 50-50 split between electrical power and the internal combustion engine, and the new cars will also run on 100 per cent sustainable fuels.

In regards to improved safety, the roll hoop will be strengthened to take 23 per cent more load in 2026, and the front impact structure design now separates in two stages to provide drivers with greater protection in crashes where there is secondary impact.

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Helmut Marko claims Max Verstappen has changed

Red Bull's recently retired motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has given his take on whether he thinks Max Verstappen can win further F1 championships without him at the team.

The Austrian was instrumental in kickstarting Verstappen's journey to F1 and is credited with discovering his talent before propelling him into his maiden F1 season at only 17 years old.

After a decade of working together at Red Bull, Verstappen has picked up four drivers' titles, narrowly missing out on a fifth consecutive championship victory at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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Written by

Matthew Hobkinson - Lead Editor

After four years working for a Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate, lockdown gave me the chance to chase a career in sports journalism - I haven't looked back. I have found a home here at GPFans where I can showcase the weird and wonderful world of F1 to the millions of fans around the world who are just as passionate as I am about the best sport in the world.

View full biography

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