Horner, who left Red Bull following his dismissal after last year’s British Grand Prix, had been linked with a potential pathway back into the sport through a proposed investment route involving Alpine’s minority ownership structure.
The possibility had gained traction after confirmation earlier this year that Horner was part of a group interested in acquiring Otro Capital’s 24 per cent stake in the Enstone-based team, with Renault Group retaining the remaining 76 per cent.
However, Provost has now poured cold water on those links, telling the Press Association: “There is no discussion today with Christian.
“We are assessing the options. I want the Renault Group to keep the control of our team, whoever could be the successor of Otro.”
The comments also come after Mercedes withdrew from talks over the same minority shareholding, a move that had initially appeared to clear a potential opening for Horner’s bid.
“I saw there are no further discussions (with Mercedes) now,” Provost added.
“I was not so satisfied to see that we are not progressing.”
Despite the uncertainty around ownership, Provost insisted the structure and direction of Alpine would remain firmly under Renault’s control, reinforcing the group’s position as majority stakeholder.
“I would like to make two comments about this. The first one is that this Otro issue doesn’t impact us at all as a team because we are in control,” he said.
“And the second point is that we will keep the control of our Formula 1 team. Alpine is an independent team and we intend to keep control.”
Horner had previously spoken about having “unfinished business” in Formula 1 after overseeing eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles during his long tenure at Red Bull.
The 52-year-old has been linked with other potential routes back into the sport, including possible interest from Aston Martin and speculation around involvement in a prospective new entry led by Chinese manufacturer BYD.
The ongoing discussion around Alpine’s ownership structure comes after the team recently announced a major sponsorship tie-in with iconic fashion brand Gucci, with the team set to become Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team from next season.
The team have experienced a change in fortunes following their dismal 2025 season which saw the Enstone-based squad finish last in the constructors’ championship for the first time in their history, with the team currently in fifth place in the constructors’ standings.
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