Christian Horner Reportedly Returning To F1 With An Interesting Twist
Summarize this article with:
BusinessSportsMoneyChristian Horner Reportedly Returning To F1 With An Interesting TwistByMaury Brown,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Maury Brown is a national MLB, motorsports, and media reporterFollow AuthorDec 16, 2025, 04:53pm ESTChristian Horner was fired from Oracle Red Bull in July. Now, he's reportedly eyeing his way back into Formula 1 for the 2026 season. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesChristian Horner, the controversial former team principal for Oracle Red Bull, has been outside of Formula 1 since being fired in July. Horner is reportedly looking to make a return to the global racing series in 2026, with an interesting twist.Oracle Red Bull sacked Horner after more than 20 years as the dynamic within the team grew increasingly tense. First, Horner was part of an internal sexual misconduct investigation, which he was ultimately cleared of. Political grousing within key figures in the team, along with a decline in the performance of the car piloted by Max Verstappen was finally the breaking point. Shortly after Horner’s firing, the team turned the car around and Verstappen was in the hunt for his fifth consecutive world championship all the way up until the final race of the season, eventually coming in second in the Drivers’ Championship.Almost from the day Horner was fired, he has been rumored to make his return whether it was with Ferrari, or Aston Martin, there always seemed to be a path back for him.Now, Dutch outlet De Telegraff is reporting that Horner is eyeing his return in 2026 with Alpine. Alpine is primarily owned by Renault Group, with 24% owned by Otro Capital that sees several top athletes and celebrities as part of the group, including boxer Anthony Joshua, golfer Rory Mcllroy and actor Ryan Reynolds.
The New York-based private equity firm was started by executives from RedBird Capital Partners.MORE FOR YOU The twist for Horner would be that Otro Capital is looking to sell their minority stake in Alpine. Horner, along with a group of investors, is reportedly eyeing the purchase, which would not only make him an owner but also place him as principal of the team, in much the same way Toto Wolff is CEO and team principal of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. When asked by De Telegraff, “Horner does not deny that he is in talks with Renault or Alpine,” but said he would not comment further. Alpine declined to comment.Horner would come into what could only be described as a reclamation project. Alpine, which saw Jack Doohan released and Pierre Gasly with Franco Colapinto as the drivers to complete the season, came in dead last in 2025 Constructors’ Championship with just 22 total points. In 2026, Alpine will move to using Mercedes powerplants, with Renault seeing their final year in 2025.Editorial StandardsReprints & PermissionsLOADING VIDEO PLAYER...FORBES’ FEATURED Video