Christian Horner tipped for shock Alpine move to replace Flavio Briatore by former F1 driver

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has called Christian Horner the right person to take over Flavio Briatore's job as Alpine Team Principal. Horner has been effectively a free agent since Red Bull axed him in early July.

The Briton was Team Principal of the Milton Keynes outfit for 20 years since its inception (rebranding from Jaguar) in 2005. However, the team was in turmoil since the beginning of 2024, when a female employee accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behavior.

Though Horner was cleared after a thorough investigation by Red Bull, the case opened a can of worms, with political infighting and tension rising within the team. The performance drop on track and rumors of Max Verstappen leaving for Mercedes did them no good. Eventually, RBR dropped the hammer on Horner, replacing him with Racing Bulls TP Laurent Mekies.

In the aftermath of his exit, Horner was linked with potential moves to Ferrari and Alpine. However, the former door was shut after the Scuderia gave TP Frederic Vasseur a multi-year contract renewal.

Ralf Schumacher believes that Christian Horner would be the right fit at Alpine. The Sky Sports analyst also declared that Flavio Briatore's time at the French team is over.

"I think the time for figures like Flavio is over. You need technically skilled people at the top, someone like Horner. Flavio could then help as an organizer and networker, as a face to the outside world," Schumacher told BILD.

Alpine is struggling on many fronts, including car performance and driver instability. Though Briatore has led the team to three constructors' and four drivers' championships in the 90s, he doesn't have a technical background, which leads Schumacher to believe that the Enstone outfit could succeed under Christian Horner's leadership.

Horner could find himself somewhat at home at Alpine, formerly Renault. Red Bull and Renault had a strong partnership from 2010 to 2013, when Sebastian Vettel won four drivers' championships. Unfortunately, the partnership ended sourly when Renault engines failed to get the turbo-hybrid era right.

Christian Horner is also reportedly in talks with Cadillac, which will enter F1 as the 11th team in 2026.

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Ralf Schumacher explains how Christian Horner's replacement brings back the "old Red Bull feeling"

Laurent Mekies at the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary - Final Practice - Source: Getty

In the past year and a half, Red Bull was under threat of disintegration, with a 'power struggle' in the background, with Christian Horner pitted against the Verstappen camp and Helmut Marko. However, with the Briton now out of the picture, and Laurent Mekies put at the helm to usher in a new era, Ralf Schumacher believes that everything seems normal at the team again.

When BILD asked the German whether Mekies is the right replacement for Horner, he said:

"He brings back the old Red Bull feeling. Approachable, human, open – no longer this power struggle in the background. But: It takes two to three years before things really work again. At the moment, the team is stuck in mediocrity."

Mekies has over two decades of experience in F1. He has worked for Minardi, Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls), F1's governing body, FIA, and Ferrari, before returning to Racing Bulls.

Christian Horner is reportedly on gardening leave and cannot work for a rival team until January 2026. If not as a Team Principal, the 51-year-old could re-enter the sport by acquiring a stake in another team.