Why Christian Horner isn't going home to mow the lawn, but to try to buy Alpine

It's been the bombshell news of the summer in Formula 1. For some time now, it's been a possibility that Christian Horner would lose his position at the helm of Red Bull . But the abruptness of his departure has taken everyone by surprise. From one day to the next. Effective immediately. There are many interpretations behind this dismissal, such as a war with the Verstappens or with the Austrian faction of the company. But, knowing the character, the British manager isn't licking his wounds . He's surely already planning his next move .

Speculation surrounding Horner's future has been inevitable. Love him or hate him, it's indisputable that his name is linked to the greatest virtuous cycle of success in the history of Formula 1: Four world titles with Sebastian Vettel and another four with Max Verstappen in a span of fifteen years. Some will say it's the drivers' success, others that it's due to Adrian Newey or even the huge investment by the Austrian energy drink company. But the fact is that he was always the boss of the whole scheme.

Christian Horner is deceiving . Behind his good-boy face, there is an ambitious shark willing to do anything to succeed . But don't take this as a personal attack on the recently dismissed Red Bull boss. Horner is neither better nor worse than most of the heavyweights in the paddock . Some, like Flavio Briatore , don't bother to hide anything, while others, like himself, always try to hide their sharp knives behind their backs. But, with nuances, they are all cut from the same cloth.

Horner is very ambitious . It's one of the most distinctive features of his character. You don't become the boss of what was the most lucrative project in Formula 1 back in 2005 at just 30 years old if you don't have a lot of ambition behind you. "When I saw Juan Pablo Montoya at the end of the Estoril straight, I realized I had to dedicate myself to something else." This was what the young Horner said when he aspired to be a Formula 1 champion. The day he realized his talent wasn't enough to make it as a driver, he proposed the job of team principal. And he certainly did .

The Ecclestone Factor

The initial plan was not to storm Formula 1 as the head of a team, but rather to do so as the owner of his own . When Horner decided to hang up his helmet and go into management roles, it was at Arden Motorsport , the structure he owned with his father. Bernie Ecclestone , with his keen eye for talent, noticed the kid and his intervention was decisive in getting Dietrich Mateschitz , the magnate creator of the Red Bull empire , to hire him.

And Bernie Ecclestone could be the key element in this whole situation. At 94, the British tycoon remains as mentally lucid as ever. It's pure Bernie style to reprimand his loved ones in public statements. "He behaved like a 20-year-old, not a 50-year-old." Mr. E. was referring to Horner's attitude during the sexting scandal with the team employee that nearly cost him his job. But make no mistake. If Ecclestone has a darling in the paddock , it's Horner .

Ecclestone acknowledged having spoken with Horner himself the day before his surprising dismissal. It's the clearest sign that they maintain a very fluid communication despite the 43-year age gap between them. And, most likely, Horner's first call after learning of his sudden dismissal was with his great mentor. One thing is clear: Horner aspires to take, or at least attempt, a step up in his professional career . And Bernie could hold the key to achieving that goal.

A move to Aston Martin , where he would reunite with Adrian Newey, might seem like an obvious move, but there are factors that indicate that this might not be the case. For starters, Andy Cowell has been in charge of the project for a short time, and there are currently no objective reasons to let him go. Furthermore, if he does go to Aston Martin, the most he could aspire to is a position similar to his current one , but not above it.

Ferrari and Alpine

If Horner wants to move up a notch above his current position, he really only has two alternatives: Ferrari and Alpine . He wouldn't have a higher position at the Italian team than he has held at Red Bull, but Ferrari is Ferrari. Coming in as the catalyst to restore glory to the Cavallino is a very attractive prospect. But Horner has been in Formula 1 for too many years not to know that if he were to succeed at Maranello, he'd have to be given full power , and that's difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

When Stefano Domenicali was sacked as Ferrari's boss back in 2013, Christian Horner was already mentioned as a possible replacement. Since then, Marco Mattiacci, Maurizio Arrivabene, Mattia Binotto , and, currently, Frederic Vasseur, whose continuity is in the balance, have held sway at the Scuderia . It's possible that ambition or ego—or both—lead Horner to the belief that he'll succeed where everyone else has failed. But it would be normal for him, without complete control, to reject the offer if it were to come about.

And this leads us to conclude that owning Alpine might be the most plausible option for Horner's future in Formula 1. For Bernie Ecclestone, the other person besides Horner for whom he has a soft spot in Formula 1 is Flavio Briatore , crucially the current team leader at a time when its future is more uncertain than ever. The departure of Luca de Meo as head of the Renault Group and a major supporter of the team is the final straw. In this situation, the conversation between Ecclestone, Briatore and Horner is something that we can take for granted that has taken place.

Bernie has all the necessary money for the purchase operation , Flavio is in the perfect position to equip the sale plan, and Horner is the figure in which Ecclestone recognizes he has seen himself reflected very often. A perfect opportunity to leave a legacy, not only for Ecclestone himself but also for his young wife Fabiana and his youngest son, Ace. In Formula 1, anything can happen. You should never rule anything out, but one thing is certain: Christian Horner is not going to go home and mow the lawn .