Wolff may prevent Horner's return to Formula 1.

      Rumours of Christian Horner’s imminent return to Formula 1 surfaced almost immediately after news of his dismissal from Red Bull Racing. At present the scenario considered realistic is that Horner will buy a stake in Alpine and head the Enstone-based team. However, as became known last week, Horner will not be able to buy Alpine shares before September 2026, when the three-year moratorium on the sale of the stake held by the investment company Otro Capital expires. Another unexpected obstacle to Horner’s return to Formula 1 via Alpine could be Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. From 2026 Mercedes will be Alpine’s power unit supplier. According to the Austrian outlet OE24, Mercedes in general and Toto Wolff in particular will have a say in whether Christian Horner can lead the Alpine team. The publication believes that, given the strained relations between Horner and Wolff, the latter could veto the move, thereby preventing Christian from returning to Formula 1 via Alpine. It is possible that, in such a scenario, Horner will try to negotiate a return with another team. The press is already naming Ferrari, provided that in 2026 under Frédéric Vasseur’s leadership the team does not achieve significant results.