Briatore confirms that Horner circling Alpine: ‘He’s negotiating’

The rumors have been swirling for several months, and now, Alpine chief Flavio Briatore has all but confirmed that Christian Horner is circling the Enstone operation, with active discussions underway that could open the door to a dramatic Formula 1 return for the former Red Bull boss.

Speaking amid the noise and neon of Alpine’s 2026 livery launch in Barcelona on Friday, Briatore painted a picture of a team surrounded by suitors, speculation, and shifting power – while very carefully choosing his words.

Horner has been linked with multiple comeback routes since his shock mid-season exit from Red Bull last year. Aston Martin flirted with the idea before backing away, leaving Alpine – and specifically its 24% minority stake held by Otro Capital and celebrity investors – as the most realistic entry point.

That stake, acquired in 2023, has ballooned in value despite Alpine’s struggles on track. It also happens to align perfectly with Horner’s long-held preference: equity over employment.

Briatore didn’t deny that conversations were happening. Instead, he leaned into ambiguity.

"In this moment, this is a lot of confusion," he said, quoted by The Race. "A few groups - I don't know how many, six, seven; every day is a new group - every day people call me about Otro. I don't care.

"So [suppose] Otro want to sell their participation in Alpine. The moment somebody buys 24% of Otro, we still have 75% [the rest] and we discuss it. But for the moment, this is the situation.

"I've known Christian for many years, I talk with Christian anyway, but this has nothing to do with me.

“First you need to buy [the] Otro [share], and after Renault need to accept the buyer, and after we see what's happening.

"But there's no link with me, because he's negotiating with Otro, he's not negotiating with us."

Officially, then, nothing is happening. Unofficially? Almost everything is.

A 'Good Asset' for Alpine? 

Briatore and Horner have shared paddocks – and power – for decades. That history alone makes the situation combustible, even if Briatore insists there’s no direct involvement.

Last August, Briatore publicly cooled the idea of Horner at Enstone, saying he was "for the moment not in the picture at Alpine" – a phrase that, with hindsight, sounds less like a shutdown and more like a placeholder.

Now, with Alpine restructuring its leadership and Briatore himself acting as de facto team principal despite appointing Steve Nielsen as managing director, the timing feels anything but accidental.

When asked whether Horner would represent “a good asset” for the team, Briatore left the door wide open.

"I think everybody's a good asset to the team, depending in what position you put the people. No problem,” he said.

The Subtext No One Is Ignoring

If Horner does secure a slice of Otro’s stake – and it remains to be seen where the significant funding would come from – Renault would still hold the keys. Approval wouldn’t be automatic, and power wouldn’t be evenly distributed.

But even a minority holding would put one of F1’s most influential operators back inside the sport – and inside a team desperate for momentum.

For now, Alpine insists this is all hypothetical. Briatore says he doesn’t care. Horner says nothing. But in Formula 1, silence is rarely empty – and ambiguity is often the loudest confirmation of all.

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