Following his reflections on a shock 2025 Red Bull dismissal in Netflix's Drive to Survive season 8, former team principal Christian Horner is linked to a Formula 1 comeback. Reports claim the series wants him back for dramatic storylines, while ex-driver Juan Pablo Montoya backs a potential Alpine move.
Horner was sacked midseason in July 2025 and fully relieved of duties in September, with Laurent Mekies taking over to guide Max Verstappen to second place in the drivers' championship.
Italian outlet Corriere della Sera reports Netflix hopes Horner rejoins the F1 paddock, valuing the narratives he generated at Red Bull. Drive to Survive, which started in 2019 covering 2018, spotlighted his role in events like Daniel Ricciardo's Renault switch, his Toto Wolff rivalry, and Verstappen's 2021 title win over Lewis Hamilton.
For 2026, links to Ferrari, Haas, and Cadillac were denied, but Aston Martin (reuniting with Adrian Newey and Honda) and especially Alpine—with ties to boss Flavio Briatore—are in play. Montoya called a Horner-Alpine link 'very cool,' saying he 'would do wonders.'
Horner has also voiced interest in buying Otro Capital's stake in Alpine, backed by Ryan Reynolds, Anthony Joshua, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.