'He will wait': Guenther Steiner says Christian Horner joining one Formula 1 team next season ‘would not work’

Christian Horner will now be reviewing his options as he seeks a return to Formula 1, having formerly ended his relationship with Red Bull Racing.

Red Bull and Christian Horner enjoyed nearly unparalleled success during their two decades working together.

Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel both became four-time world champions under Horner, but Red Bull’s owners decided that a change of direction was needed halfway through the 2025 F1 campaign.

Laurent Mekies was installed as Horner’s successor, and suddenly, hope has returned after a difficult 18 months.

Verstappen has won two races on the bounce, and while he’s still 69 points behind Oscar Piastri with seven race weekends left, nobody is ruling him out of the drivers’ championship yet.

Horner has now agreed a compensation package with Red Bull and will be free to return to Formula 1 next year.

Where he turns up next is now the question on everyone’s lips.

The F1 driver market next year is expected to take plenty of twists and turns due to the new regulations being introduced.

With Horner now available, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few team principals were also under pressure.

READ MORE: All to know about sacked Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with net worth

Guenther Steiner says Christian Horner ‘would not work’ at Alpine alongside Flavio Briatore

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner was asked during The Red Flags Podcast ‘Gas or Brake’ segment whether he thought Horner would be back on the grid next season.

He said: “Brake!

“I think he will wait a little bit. He’s eager to get there, but, at the moment, I don’t think there’s anything there for him that he wants to do.

“I think he wants to be part of a team owning, and I don’t think there’s anything for sale or to be headed at, even if you want to buy it, I mean, it’s a lot of money.

“I know he got a lot of money, but what he got is not enough to buy a team. He would not do anything other than being a team principal, even going to Alpine to work with Flavio. I mean, you know, that would not work, Flav and him in the top position.

“I mean, then Flavio would need to go, and it doesn’t look like Flav is going anywhere soon.

“He can wait. Christian doesn’t need to be in a hurry.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Renault CEO confirms Alpine have long-term interest in remaining in Formula 1

Alpine currently sit at the bottom of the constructors’ championship, and after 17 races, one side of the garage has yet to score a point.

Flavio Briatore has overseen the team since Oliver Oakes quit, with the experienced Steve Nielsen only just arriving.

Horner has been linked with investing in Alpine as a part-owner, with suggestions that the parent company, Renault, could be interested in selling the outfit.

However, new Renault CEO Francois Provost told Canal+ at the Italian Grand Prix that selling the team wasn’t on their immediate agenda.

He said: “My visit aims mainly to reaffirm we’re staying in Formula 1. We’re staying in Formula 1 for a long time.”

On top of this, Provost suggested that Pierre Gasly’s new deal and Nielsen’s appointment signalled that Renault aren’t in a hurry to sell.

“We are entering a new era,” Provost continued, “which will be a performance era, but above all, a stability era. Pierre’s commitment demonstrates this well.

“Steve’s appointment as managing director is a good example, too. So, you see, we’ve made many steps forward.”

Alpine have plenty of investors, including Rory McIlroy and Zinedine Zidane, suggesting that they’re open to deals with outside parties.

But whether Horner could secure the level of control that he wants is another matter.