Briatore shuts the Alpine door on Horner — for now
If Christian Horner thought a swift route back into Formula 1 might run through Enstone, Flavio Briatore has just put up a very large “not today” sign.
Speaking in the team principals’ press conference ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Alpine’s executive advisor — and, in practice, the man calling the shots — ruled out any move for the former Red Bull boss. Briatore was polite, even warm, about his long-time friend. But when the question came, the answer was straight.
“I’m not considering anything at this moment, and Christian is not in Formula 1 anymore,” the 75-year-old said. “I hope he comes back soon, but for the moment he’s not in the picture at Alpine.”
It’s the second cold shoulder Horner’s camp has received in quick succession. Cadillac, which is working toward an F1 entry with Graeme Lowdon set to run the team, also distanced itself from the rumour mill. “There have been no talks with Christian Horner,” CEO Dan Towriss said. “No plans to do that. I’d like to officially shut down that rumor.” He doubled down, too: “Our support backing is 100 per cent in Graeme Lowdon.”
The message is clear: whatever conversations are taking place behind closed doors in a sport where almost everyone talks to everyone, nobody’s putting their hand up publicly for Horner right now.
That would’ve been hard to picture not long ago. Horner’s departure from Red Bull after the British Grand Prix ended one of the longest and most successful managerial runs in modern F1. He presided over an era defined by relentless winning, a conveyor belt of titles and the sort of ruthless clarity that built Red Bull into a powerhouse. You don’t do that without making a few enemies and attracting a lot of admirers.
Naturally, the paddock connected the dots. Alpine needs a reset, the argument went; a big personality with a proven playbook could give it one. And if Horner wanted protection after such a high-profile exit, an equity stake — the kind of arrangement that’s occasionally whispered about when big names move — would make sense.
Briatore has other ideas. Since returning to Alpine in an advisory capacity, he’s been busy reshaping the structure and asserting direction. Bringing in an operator like Horner would detonate any chain of command he’s currently establishing. It would also invite noise Alpine doesn’t need while it tries to steady results and rebuild momentum.
So where does that leave the former Red Bull chief? For now, on the outside, and not through lack of intrigue. Teams respect what Horner achieved — the trophies aren’t in dispute — but they also see the baggage a mid-season hire would bring. There’s timing, there’s politics, and there’s the small matter of control. Horner is not the kind of figure you hire to blend in.
And Alpine, for all its recent turbulence, isn’t shopping for a headline. It’s shopping for a direction that sticks.
Could this change? Of course. F1 careers are long and the calendar longer; today’s no often turns into tomorrow’s maybe. Briatore left enough room for that, perhaps deliberately. “I hope he comes back soon,” he said, which is the sort of line you only use if you know the story isn’t finished.
But as the sport grinds into the business end of the season, Horner’s best option might be patience. Sit tight, let the 2026 picture sharpen, and see who really wants a proven winner steering their next-generation project. If there’s one thing Horner has always played well, it’s the long game. Right now, though, Alpine isn’t his board.
