[Saba Sports News] Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner visited the FIA headquarters in Paris last week and met with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Sulayem later shared a photo of their meeting outside the FIA office on his personal social media, which quickly sparked discussions about Horner’s potential return to F1. This is one of the few public appearances that has drawn significant attention since Horner left Red Bull last year.
After ending his 20-year partnership with Red Bull, Horner has kept a low profile, occasionally voicing his thoughts through social media. Speculation about his future has been rampant, but the timing of this visit to Paris is quite significant. According to the departure agreement he signed with Red Bull, his garden leave will end this summer, allowing him to return to F1. Among the various potential destinations, the Alpine team is viewed as one of the most likely options.
Moreover, since Renault’s headquarters is located in Paris, just a few days before Horner’s visit, Alpine confirmed that they received interest from investors, including Horner, who expressed a desire to acquire shares in the team. Previous reports indicated that October Capital holds 24% of Alpine’s shares, but that investment agreement includes a sale restriction clause. According to a document effective September 13, 2023, October Capital can only sell its shares to a third party without special approval after a three-year period, meaning the earliest possible sale date would be September 2026, which aligns with the end of Horner’s garden leave. Therefore, some media outlets speculate that Horner’s visit was not only to the FIA headquarters but also likely involved in-depth discussions with October Capital in Paris.