Christian Horner set to miss out on Alpine takeover as minority stake nears sale
Christian Horner’s ambition to engineer a swift return to the Formula 1 grid via a takeover of Alpine has suffered a major setback. Following his departure from Red Bull in 2025, Horner immediately set his sights on securing an operational comeback, targeting a purchase of the 24% minority stake sold by Renault to Otro Capital in 2023 with the backing of a billionaire consortium.
However, as Christian Horner’s F1 return hits roadblocks, rival interest emerged from figures including Toto Wolff and Mercedes, who sought to disrupt the bid. Despite Horner’s persistent interest, the deal has now slipped out of his reach.
Renault Veto Expiration Paves Way for American Buyer
Speaking on the 2 Guys, A Girl, and F1 podcast, Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward explained that Renault’s strict refusal to sell the entire outfit prevented Horner from executing a full takeover bid prior to September 8th. While Renault previously held a veto clause over the minority shareholding, the expiration of that clause opened the door for Otro Capital to offload their 24% equity to an unnamed, wealthy American investor.
“They raised a pile of money and gave away 24%, which wasn’t really worth anything, because you don’t get control of anything with 24%,” Saward stated. “Nine months ago, Otro Capital said, ‘Right, we want to cash in now, because Formula 1 valuations have gone up. We want to double, triple, quadruple our money. We want to sell our 24%.’”
Saward clarified why Horner ultimately walked away: “There was a clause in the contract that meant that Renault had a right to veto the deal. That ran out on September 8th. As of this week, they can sell it. There is a buyer out there, a wealthy American with nothing to do with Formula 1... Renault don’t want that to happen, but this guy doesn’t care. He doesn’t want control, he just wants to make a bunch of money.”
“That’s why Christian Horner is not going to be the buyer, because Christian Horner doesn’t want to buy 24% he has no control over. No point. Renault is not willing to sell the whole team.”
Shrinking Options for Horner’s F1 Comeback
The developments represent a substantial hurdle for Horner. Alpine had already reportedly shown little enthusiasm for his minority bid months earlier, and separate discussions regarding an entry alongside Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD have also stalled. With Renault firmly retaining majority control at Enstone, Horner faces a limited scope of opportunities as he explores potential openings across the remaining 11 outfits on the grid.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.