Flavio Briatore addresses the prospects of Christian Horner joining Alpine on his return to F1

Flavio Briatore shut down speculation about Christian Horner potentially joining Alpine as team principal in the future. Speaking in the team principals’ press conference ahead of the 2025 Dutch GP, the acting Alpine team boss clarified that the Briton was not on the radar at the moment.

Horner’s dismissal from Red Bull Racing after the British GP has fueled widespread conjecture about his next move. Among the rumored options were a potential role with Cadillac F1, already quashed by its CEO during the team’s driver announcement. Another move touted was a switch to Alpine, who have been without a permanent team principal since Oliver Oakes’ departure in April.

Flavio Briatore addressed the links directly, noting that while he hoped Christian Horner would eventually return to the sport, he revealed the Briton was not being considered for Alpine at this stage. He also suggested that there was nobody in particular who was being considered at the moment for the job.

Asked if there was a possibility of considering Horner for the role of Alpine’s team principal, Briatore replied:

“I no consider in this moment anything. Christian Horner is not in Formula 1 in this moment anymore. I hope he comes back soon. But for the moment, he’s not in the picture of the team.”

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Toto Wolff cherishes the idea of a potential team owned by Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Christian Horner

Toto Wolff believes a collaboration between Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Christian Horner would be an exciting prospect for Formula 1. Briatore jokingly referred to the idea as a “shark mafia”, but Wolff felt the trio’s presence would generate huge interest in the sport.

The Mercedes boss highlighted how past team principals such as Ron Dennis, Briatore himself, the late Sir Frank Williams and Luca di Montezemolo were larger-than-life figures who helped shape F1’s appeal. Wolff suggested that a team fronted by Briatore, Ecclestone, and Horner would carry that same charisma and bring additional intrigue to the grid.

Asked about a potential collaboration of team ownership between Briatore, Ecclestone, and Horner, Wolff said:

“That would be an exciting story, I guess, and would create lots of buzz around Formula 1. I think we need that. Formula 1 has always been about the best racing, with exciting drivers and great personalities. And when you look back at the grand era of team owners and team principals, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Flavio, [Luca Di] Montezemolo, and a few others, maybe we need to work on that. And if there was such an exciting project, these three guys coming together, all of the mafia reunited, that would give good content, I guess.”

Listening to the reply, Briatore interjected saying:

"The sharks. The shark mafia.”

Wolff added:

“Three sharks.”

The future of Christian Horner continues to be a subject of speculation within Formula 1. Speaking to Sky Sports in Hungary, Bernie Ecclestone dismissed the idea of collaborating with Horner to own a team.

Despite this, rumours persist, with some reports suggesting that Ecclestone, Horner and Flavio Briatore could potentially join forces to form a team in the future. With both Cadillac and Alpine having ruled out the Briton, Horner’s next move remains an open question and a point of intrigue across the paddock.