Inside Scoop: Is Alpine Betting Big on Horner’s Leadership?

Jun.12 –  Christian Horner really could make the switch to Alpine, according to former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher.

Schumacher, 49, has found himself increasingly at odds with Red Bull team boss Horner as a consistent critic of the Briton over the past year or so.

Germany’s Sport1 even claims Horner recently asked Sky Deutschland to axe Schumacher as an expert pundit.  “The attempt failed,” the report said.

But it was not Schumacher who originated the recent paddock rumours about Horner being increasingly disempowered by Red Bull’s owners – prompting speculation of a potential move to either Ferrari or Alpine.

Horner dismissed the Ferrari gossip out of hand.

“My Italian is worse than Flavio (Briatore)’s English, so how on earth would that work?” he smiled in Barcelona.

But according to Schumacher, the Horner-to-Alpine rumour makes much more sense – and not only because he has been close to Alpine advisor Briatore for many years.

“Briatore is looking for a good new team boss,” Schumacher said, “and he and Horner know and respect each other.”

Schumacher thinks the clincher of the deal could be majority Alpine team owner Renault offering Horner actual equity in the team.  A similar deal between Adrian Newey and Aston Martin paved the way for the famed designer’s move from Red Bull last year.

“That’s what he (Horner) has always wanted,” said Schumacher when asked about Horner being offered equity in Alpine, “and he doesn’t have that chance at Red Bull.

“He doesn’t have it anywhere else either, and that’s why I could well imagine that he’s very interested.”

If Horner were to vacate his current role, Schumacher knows exactly where Red Bull should go looking for his replacement.

“If I were (Red Bull CEO) Oliver Mintzlaff, I would call Andreas Seidl right away and try to get him,” Schumacher said, referring to the German who was pushed out of the new Audi-owned Sauber project last year.

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