Ralf Schumacher provokes Christian Horner: “Only Alpine can offer him what Red Bull never did”. Ralf Schumacher fuels speculation about Christian Horner’s future.

The dispute between Ralf Schumacher and Christian Horner
Christian Horner and Ralf Schumacher clearly aren’t getting along these days. After the former German driver, brother of legend Michael Schumacher, claimed that Max Verstappen deliberately took a ten-second penalty in Spain in order to drop down the standings and activate his exit clause from Red Bull at the end of the season, the English team principal replied to Bild saying he had “never heard such a stupid theory.” Now, the former Jordan, Williams, and Toyota driver returns to provoke the 51-year-old Red Bull boss by backing the theory that Horner could soon join Alpine as team principal, lured by his friend Flavio Briatore.

What Ralf Schumacher said
Ralf Schumacher spoke about it during one of the Sky Germany podcasts he frequently appears on during the week, supporting recent rumours that the relationship between Horner and Red Bull is nearing its end: “Flavio Briatore is looking for a good team principal, and there has always been mutual respect and understanding between him and Christian Horner.”

Beyond personal connections, the core issue would, of course, be money. Or rather, Horner’s desire to obtain an equity stake in a Formula 1 team—something he has never managed to achieve at Red Bull.

“I think that’s what he’s always wanted,” Ralf Schumacher added, “and something he’s never managed to get at Red Bull Racing. And it’s something he wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else… That’s why I imagine he could be very interested in joining Alpine as boss. And Red Bull? If I were Oliver Mintzlaff and Christian Horner left, I would immediately call Andreas Seidl (former McLaren team principal and current Audi F1 CEO, editor’s note) and try to bring him in.”