Hi friends,
I’m finally back after a rain-soaked European Le Mans Series race in Silverstone, and the accompanying cold. On the positive side, we clinched the LMP3 Championship!
But back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Top Story of the Week: Christian Horner Leaves Red Bull With a Payout of Over $100 Million
The ink on Christian Horner’s messy divorce from Red Bull is finally dry, and the numbers are eye-watering. Multiple sources peg the dismissal at roughly $100 million. One of the most expensive exits the sport has ever seen.
Why Red Bull Paid Up
Horner was effectively dismissed after the British GP in July, but he remained a Red Bull employee until the formal dismissal just a few days ago. Buying out a contract that ran though 2030 was never going to be cheap, hence the $100 million price tag. Laurent Mekies now holds the reins, and Red Bull gets closure and clean governance ahead of the 2026 rules reset.
So is $100 million too much? In cold corporate terms, not if it neutralises years of legal brinkmanship and negative press, and it lets the racing team get on with being a racing team. The cost of drift and distraction can be higher than even a nine-figure settlement.
The Clock is Ticking for 2026
One of the crucial details in Horner’s exit package is the path to a Formula 1 return. He can return to Formula 1 with a different team as early as Q2 2026.
So the question becomes, where does he land when and if he returns? The obvious answer here is Alpine.
Put bluntly, Alpine needs an adult in the room and a new story to sell, and despite Horner’s recent controversies, he has a proven track record. The team has staggered through 2025 with leadership churn and thin results, while Flavio Briatore has re-established himself as the de factor power center. If Horner wants not just a job but influence, even equity, that’s a marriage of convenience waiting to happen.
The rumour mill has already placed Horner in (or near) an Alpine-bound investment consortium, with Flavio Briatore and Bernie Eccelstone said to be among the backers. Even Toto Wolff couldn’t resist a dig at the idea, calling it a “mafia reunion”, which tells me that the chatter is also happening among the team bosses in the paddock.
For Horner, Enstone is a short hop from his home in Oxfordshire, the organisation is used to strong-man leadership, and he has experience turning a struggling team around. The rumours by no means guarantee what we’ll see Horner step in, but Alpine fits his playbook better than most.
Why Equity is the Real Ask
At Red Bull, Horner’s political capital waned almost as fast as the results did. If he’s coming back, expect him to demand governance guarantees: board seats, hiring rights, vetos – the kinds of protections that only equity can secure.
Renault for its part has denied any intent to sell any significant stake in Alpine, but that doesn’t kill the rumour – it only sets the price and the structure. It’s less of a question of if a piece can be sold, and more how big a piece and on what timeline.
The payout buys Red Bull peace, and it buys Horner options. And, just maybe, an ownership title on the org chart.
The Rest of the Stories This Week:
- Romain Grosjean and James Hinchcliffe are doing a test with Haas
- The Azerbaijan GP has been extended to 2030
- Max Verstappen is racing in the ADAC Barbarossa Prize at Nürburgring this weekend
- The FIA is increasing the cost cap from $145 million to $215 million
- Senior Strategy Engineer Nick Roberts has left VCARB
- Sophie Ogg, McLaren’s Director of Communications is leaving the team
- Dennis Hauger joins Daly Coyne Racing in INDYCAR
- Felipe Drugovich joins Andretti in Formula E
- Ford will run their Hypercar program in-house
- Formula 3 announced a €1 million prize fund to support drivers moving to Formula 2
That’s it for this week, thank you for being here.
If you want to support me, you can help fuel the snack addiction that powers me through compiling these lists and vetting the stories – you can do so on Buymeacoffee or Patreon.
