Christian Horner in Talks With F1 Team Over Return to the Sport

Christian Horner's Formula One return is closer than ever as he has entered talks to lead a team next year.

Back in July, Red Bull Racing made the major announcement confirming that they had parted ways with team principal Horner after more than 20 years working together, with former Racing Bulls chief Laurent Mekies set to replace him.

The 51-year-old had led the Milton Keynes-based team to six constructors' and eight drivers' world championships, but was dismissed amid concerns over the future of star driver Max Verstappen.

Since then, the Brit has reportedly been eager to secure a return to Formula One either as a team principal or even in a more senior role within an F1 team.

Several teams have been linked with signing Horner, but it appears one is closer than the rest as they have officially entered talks to secure Horner's return to the grid next year.

Horner could make a swift return to Formula 1 Image: Getty

Following Horner's dismissal, Aston Martin appeared to be the most likely candidates for Horner's next team after Adrian Newey, Red Bull's legendary car designer, joined the team at the start of 2025.

However, the former Red Bull boss' hopes of following Newey to Aston Martin were ruined after the team confirmed that Newey himself would take over the role of team principal in the upcoming 2026 season.

But, according to a report from Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, Horner is now edging ever closer to returning to F1 as he has entered talks to join Alpine in 2026.

The report claims that Horner could join the French team as soon as the spring of next year, when his gardening leave after his Red Bull departure will be over.

But, Horner's potential role at Alpine remains unclear, as it is claimed that the talks with Alpine are in regards to him becoming a co-shareholder in the F1 team.

Of course, it remains possible that Horner would join the team as a co-shareholder and a team principal, much like former rival Toto Wolff at Mercedes, but that remains to be seen.

Christian Horner left Red Bull in July. (Image: Getty)

Since 2023, 24% of the shares in Alpine have been held by an American consortium Otro Capital, with several big names like Anthony Joshua, Rory McIlroy, and Ryan Reynolds said to be investors.

However, it has recently been reported that Otro Capital are interested in selling these shares, with Horner and a group of investors reportedly eyeing up a deal.

Should Horner join Alpine he would do so after the team suffered one of their worst seasons ever, finishing bottom of the constructors' championship table, with drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto 18th and 20th in the drivers' standings.

When asked about the potential deal, Horner reportedly did not deny that he was in talks with Alpine, but did not wish to comment any further.