Christian Horner now ‘flirting’ with £1.18bn midfield F1 team after Red Bull boss ‘leaked’ Ferrari approach

Christian Horner has been the team principal of Red Bull since their foundation back in 2005, yet he now realises his time there is running out so is ‘flirting’ with a rival outfit.

Red Bull made Horner the youngest-ever team principal in F1 history as the Austrian energy drink brand made immediate changes after taking over Ford’s entry. The Briton was only 31 years old at the time, but Horner would go on to transform Red Bull into a dominant squad.

Sebastian Vettel from 2010-13 and Max Verstappen from 2021-24 both won the F1 drivers’ championship four times on the spin. After Horner lured Adrian Newey from McLaren over to Red Bull in February 2006, the Milton Keynes crew would also secure six constructors’ titles.

But tensions are now building behind the scenes, so Horner is looking for his next home on the grid. His next stop will not be Maranello, though, despite Ferrari approaching Horner to check the 51-year-old’s interest in potentially replacing Fred Vasseur at the Scuderia’s helm.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner is ‘openly flirting’ with Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore

According to GPblog, Horner realises that his time at Red Bull is running out, following a few fractious affairs over the past year which even led to chief technical officer Newey resigning. Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley even quit Red Bull to become Sauber’s team principal.

So, the Briton himself ‘leaked’ that Horner rejected Ferrari’s approach to replace Vasseur, as pressure builds amid the Scuderia’s woes. Ferrari took second in the constructors’ standings after the Spanish Grand Prix, while Red Bull are fourth, but they trail McLaren by 197 points.

READ MORE: Know all about Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with net worth to wife

Instead, Horner is now ‘openly flirting’ with Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore about a job in Enstone after the Renault-owned crew’s former team principal Oliver Oakes resigned. Briatore does not see Horner’s baggage after his fight for power at Red Bull as an issue, too.

Horner intends to seriously consider his future at Red Bull in the coming weeks, as he wants to find a new F1 team as soon as possible should his time in Milton Keynes meet an end. He would rate the job at Alpine as an ‘attractive’ option if Renault agrees to give Horner shares.

Christian Horner’s Red Bull record could be just what Flavio Briatore wants for Alpine

Aston Martin made Newey a 5% shareholder after he agreed to take over as their managing technical partner on the back of leaving Red Bull. Alpine have also not rejected giving shares out, with Otro Capital investing £164m in the Enstone outfit in June 2023 to get a 24% stake.

READ MORE: Who is Alpine’s F1 executive adviser Flavio Briatore? Everything to know

Sporting superstars like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Anthony Joshua and Rory McIlroy were also among the names to join Otro Capital prior to it investing in Alpine. So, Renault might not reject Horner requesting shares to leave Red Bull for Alpine.

The £1.18bn-valued Alpine F1 team are on the lookout for a new team principal, as Briatore cannot replace Oakes himself as the Italian businessman does not have an F1 licence and is not a direct employee of Alpine. Briatore is an adviser to Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo.

Horner’s record of turning Red Bull into the dominant F1 team through two eras of technical regulations could also appeal to Briatore and De Meo ahead of the major 2026 F1 regulation changes. Also, Briatore has ‘guaranteed’ Alpine F1 race wins in 2026 and title fights by 2027.