Christian Horner’s interest in buying into Alpine’s Formula 1 team has been complicated by Mercedes also lodging a bid of its own.
Alpine investors Otro Capital, who bought 24 percent of the team in 2023 for $233 million, are looking to sell their entire stake.
With F1 values rising at unprecedented rates, Otro, a group involving movie stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac alongside golfer Rory McIlroy, look set to make a healthy profit.
Various reports have estimated Alpine’s overall value to be somewhere in the region of $3 billion.
Former Red Bull boss Horner is known to be one of the interested parties and has put together a consortium of his own, which is in talks with Otro.
Reports this week suggested Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had made a personal bid of his own.
Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore has clarified the situation, confirming interest from Mercedes, but stressing Wolff is not involved in discussions with Otro.
“Every day is a new situation,” Briatore said on Friday. “But what I want to say, I know it’s the negotiation from Mercedes — not with Toto, with Mercedes — and we’ll see.
“Don’t forget, we’re talking about the Otro shares, nothing to do with Alpine. It’s the share owned by this hedge fund, it’s called Otro, American fund. They want to sell the 24 per cent and a few candidates are ready to do the deal.”
When asked if he had any interest in buying the shares himself Briatore, the former part-owner of Queens Park Rangers, said: “No, no, no, no. Just looking. I’m just looking what’s going on and just watching what’s going on. For us, we have no communication with Toto in this moment. So, if somebody buys the shares, we are very happy.”
Alpine was the rebranded name for what used to be Renault’s factory team, but the French team shut down its engine facility last year.
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Alpine moved to a Mercedes power unit supply for 2026, a move Briatore helped facilitate.
When asked if Alpine could guarantee independence in terms of how they vote on key F1 matters if Mercedes became a major stakeholder, Briatore pointed to Red Bull, who also own the Racing Bulls team.
“I think so,” Briatore said. Red Bull has been a pioneer already in the last 10 years or 15 years. And like I tell you, Mercedes is looking to buy Otro’s 24%. Normally in one company, 75% decide and 25% is the passenger. And this is what is the reality.”
Sources have told ESPN there is a fixed date midway through this year for Alpine to decide who Otro sells their stake to.
If a deal is not done before then, Otro has freedom to pick the buyer themselves.
