Christian Horner expresses Alpine interest; Lewis Hamilton race engineer update – roundup
Christian Horner and Lewis Hamilton
Sunday’s fast-paced F1 news includes Alpine confirming that Christian Horner has expressed an interest in buying a stake in the team.
With a leading candidate emerging for the role of Lewis Hamilton’s new Ferrari race engineer, here’s today’s roundup…
Alpine confirms Christian Horner interest
The Alpine F1 team has confirmed that Christian Horner has expressed an interest in purchasing a stake in the Enstone squad.
Horner is eyeing a return to F1 after leaving Red Bull during the F1 2025 season, with Alpine
Alpine has emerged as Horner’s most likely route for a Formula 1 comeback, with PlanetF1.com revealing earlier this month that the 52-year-old’s return could be delayed until September.
Read more: Alpine confirms Christian Horner expression of interest to purchase stake in team
Rumour: Ferrari identifies former McLaren man as new Lewis Hamilton race engineer
Former McLaren performance engineer Cedric Michel-Grosjean has emerged as the favourite to become Lewis Hamilton’s new race engineer at Ferrari, it has been claimed.
Michel-Grosjean worked on Oscar Piastri’s car in 2025 before leaving McLaren at the end of last year. He is currently on a career break ahead of taking his next post.
Ferrari announced earlier this month that Hamilton’s previous race engineer, Riccardo Adami, has moved to a new role for F1 2026.
Read more: Main Ferrari target emerges in Lewis Hamilton race engineer search – reports
Pierre Gasly responds to criticism over Michael Schumacher tribute
Alpine F1 driver Pierre Gasly says he did not intend to cause offence with a Michael Schumacher tribute post over the winter break.
Gasly posted a picture to social media of himself skiing, while wearing a Marlboro-branded red jacket featuring a striking resemblance to the race overalls Schumacher wore during his Ferrari career, on the seven-time world champion’s 57th birthday earlier this month.
Schumacher has not been seen in public since suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013.
Read more: Pierre Gasly responds to criticism over controversial Michael Schumacher tribute
What we’re hearing about Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin AMR26
The Aston Martin AMR26 is arguably the most hotly anticipated car of the F1 2026 season.
The car is the first to be designed by Adrian Newey and the first of Aston Martin’s new technical partnership with Honda.
Here’s what we’re hearing about car ahead of its launch on February 9.
Read more: Aston Martin AMR26: What we’re hearing about Adrian Newey’s first Aston Martin
Watch: New active aero in action at Ferrari shakedown
Video footage from Ferrari’s shakedown has revealed Lewis Hamilton experimenting with active aero for the first time.
The introduction of active aerodynamics – moveable front and rear wings – is among the headline rule changes for the F1 2026 season.
Active aero will effectively allows cars to switch between low and high-downforce configurations over the course of a lap to maximise performance on the straights and in the corners.
Read more: Watch: Hamilton activates moveable rear wing in ‘biggest regulation change’
