Ex-Red Bull boss Christian Horner eyeing F1 return as Alpine investor

Christian Horner seeks a return to Formula One as an investor in the Alpine team following his departure from Red Bull.

Christian Horner's absence from Formula One may be short-lived. Horner, the famed former Red Bull boss who was fired by the company in ‍July, is among a group eyeing a possible investment into F1 team Alpine.

The ​French outfit confirmed Horner's interest in a statement on Sunday (January 25, 2026).

In December ‌2023, Alpine finalized the sale of a 24% stake ​to American sports- investment firm Otro Capital and a group of investors that included golf pro Rory McIlroy, NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, boxer Anthony Joshua and actor/businessman Ryan Reynolds.

Otro in recent months has explored selling its stake, meeting with potential investors. Enter Horner.

"It is no secret that Otro Capital has held preliminary talks to sell its stake ​in the team," Alpine said in the Sunday (January 25, 2026) statement. "The team ⁠is regularly approached and contacted from potential investors, particularly given Otro Capital declared exploratory talks have taken place. One of those parties to express an interest is a group of ​investors, which also includes Christian Horner."

Reports ⁠of Otro's potential interest in selling surfaced in October of last year, with Markets Group reporting that Otro's initial investment of roughly $900 million in 2023 would likely fetch far more money in a sale.