Red Bull have not had the smoothest run since Christian Horner’s departure.
Max Verstappen did manage to win the Sprint Race at Spa, giving the new team boss Laurent Mekies a good start. But the team got Yuki Tsunoda’s strategy wrong, and the Dutchman could not get past Charles Leclerc for a podium finish.
Things did not get better in Hungary, where Red Bull endured one of their worst weekends of the year. Verstappen managed only P9, while Tsunoda went another weekend without points, extending his dry spell to seven races.
Many of these issues were already there when Horner was still in charge, and his influence is likely to linger for years.
But there is growing talk that Horner could return to the paddock before long. Journalist Matt Majendie recently discussed what he had been up to since leaving Red Bull and whether he might step into a leadership role at Alpine or Aston Martin.
Christian Horner looks more likely to rejoin F1 with Alpine than Aston Martin
Majendie discussed Horner’s recent activities on The Inside Track Podcast, shedding light on a few public appearances involving the former Red Bull boss.
He said: “So, one night, he was at the Oasis concert with Adrian Newey. So, there was all this talk that they’d fallen out, the relationship was no longer as good as it was.
“Horner had always said it was good, Newey’s godfather to one of his kids, and then they were at Oasis together.
“And then Horner was having lunch with Flavio Briatore, I think in London.”
| Grand Prix entered | 406 |
| Wins | 124 |
| Podiums | 287 |
| Pole positions | 107 |
| Points | 8009 |
| Drivers’ championships | 8 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) |
| Constructors’ championships | 6 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022, 2023) |
“So there are two links there. You’ve got the Alpine story that we’ve already heard about the possibility, and then there’s the even more crazy one of Aston Martin maybe reuniting with Adrian Newey,” he added.
“I guess Newey reached out to Horner; he’s obviously gone through a pretty tough couple of weeks.”
The conversation then turned to which team might be more likely to bring Horner on board. Majendie responded: “Someone said to me, the crazier ones in Formula 1 end up being true, but I just can’t see the Aston Martin one.
“Lawrence Stroll is the head honcho there; he might be selling a small stake, but he’s not going to want to give up control, and I think Horner’s next step is to buy into a team, and Alpine seems a more likely one, perhaps there.”
Alpine turned down record F1 takeover offer amid ongoing struggles
Aston Martin had a strong showing in Hungary and are building momentum behind some key developments.
The addition of Adrian Newey, an exclusive power unit deal with Honda, and a state-of-the-art facility have all contributed to rising expectations for Lawrence Stroll’s side.
In contrast, Alpine are dealing with a far more difficult situation.
Flavio Briatore is now leading the team, and they currently sit at the bottom of the constructors’ standings.
Reports suggest Alpine recently turned down a record takeover bid, indicating that while they may not be actively looking to sell, there is industry belief that they could be persuaded.
Majendie finds it difficult to envision Horner resuming a traditional team principal role, leading to speculation that he might be linked to partial ownership of Alpine.
Still, Formula 1 would not quite feel the same unless Horner manages to find his way back into the mix sooner rather than later.
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