The FIA’s own social media lit a fuse on Wednesday when it posted a picture of Christian Horner huddled with President Mohammed Ben Sulayem at the governing body’s Paris headquarters.
The caption? A warm "Good to see you, my friend."
Since his shock departure from Red Bull following last summer’s British GP, the paddock’s most polarizing figure has been a ghost – until now.
While Horner is officially in town for the Retromobile historic car show, the optics of this "social call" are impossible to ignore, especially following the news that the Briton is part of an investment consortium negotiating with Otro Capital to acquire the latter’s 26% stake in Alpine.
Against that backdrop, a visit to the FIA’s inner sanctum was always going to raise eyebrows. Officially, however, the reasons for the meeting remain unknown.
Still, timing is everything in Formula 1 – and the image feels anything but accidental. For now, it’s just a photograph. But in this sport, even a handshake can spark a storm.
