Christian Horner is in talks with Otro Capital about buying their shares in the Alpine F1 team, but he’s hit a significant hurdle that’s slowing down progress on the deal.
The former Red Bull boss has told a confidante about one roadblock he is still facing to get the deal over the line. Horner’s situation comes after Flavio Briatore confirmed during Alpine’s 2026 F1 season launch event that negotiations were underway.
Having been dismissed from his role as team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing last summer, Horner has no interest in returning to an organisation unless he holds ownership stakes. It’s a move aimed at preventing similar circumstances from happening again. {{INSTAGRAM_PLACEHOLDER_3}}
Why F1 Investors Are Hesitant to Sell Shares, Even with Prices Surging
Speaking on De Telegraaf’s F1 podcast, former driver Christijan Albers recounted a recent run-in with Horner at an auction in Paris. The two spoke for over an hour, with Albers sharing some insights into how Horner is feeling about life away from Red Bull.
“He came up to me, and I just stood there talking to him for an hour. And he is still trying to keep a little contact with Max. He has this feeling, he doesn’t know if the team is better off,” said Albers.
“But I just spoke to him very honestly. We had a moment, talked about his departure, what he thought of it, and what I thought about it. At a certain point, it’s a situation that simply can’t be sustained anymore. And he agreed with that himself. At a certain point, it wasn’t possible anymore.”
When asked if Horner mentioned anything about the Alpine move or any other plans in the pipeline during their conversation, Albers explained:
“So he told me that he has enough backers behind him to see if there’s a possibility. But few teams want to sell because the value has skyrocketed of course. And that’s why a lot of teams are holding on to their shares for now.”
If Renault ends up blocking Horner’s attempt to buy Otro Capital’s stake in Alpine outright due to his prior links and controversy surrounding Red Bull allegations before leaving the organisation, Racing Bulls could become the backup plan.
The company hasn’t shown any real interest in selling Racing Bulls before but Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff still keeps in touch with Horner and may consider focusing more resources on Red Bull themselves by offloading RB50 soon enough.
Alpine’s move to Mercedes engines adds another layer to Christian Horner’s pursuit of a stake in the team, says Christijan Albers
Alpine finished last in the constructors’ standings the previous season, capping off a difficult stretch for the team. That situation might have presented an opening for Horner to move forward with his bid.
Now, with 2026 underway, there’s a renewed sense of optimism around Alpine thanks to their switch to Mercedes power units, which many see as setting the standard across the grid.
Albers believes this change has made Otro Capital even more hesitant. He explained: “What I also find interesting is that you must also imagine that they want to see this season as well because last year, they didn’t really have a fantastic season. With all due respect.”
“Now they are, of course, getting the Mercedes engine. Maybe they have something in the pipeline that we don’t know about,” Albers continued.
“Maybe the car can perform better. That only ensures that the value becomes even more valuable.”
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