(Motorsport-Total.com) – The 24 percent stake that Otro Capital holds in the Alpine Formula 1 team remains a highly coveted asset in the paddock. The fact that former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is interested had already leaked – and Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore made no secret of it. At the team presentation in January, he even publicly confirmed Horner’s ambitions.
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Around the season opener in Melbourne, however, another bidder has now entered the scene. As first reported by The Telegraph, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff seems to have entered the race. Briatore had previously emphasized that there were several interested parties besides the consortium linked to Horner, but did not name names – and thus did not explicitly refer to Mercedes.
When asked by Motorsport.com, Alpine did not want to comment on specific names, but confirmed once again that several parties were interested and that the process was still ongoing.
Strategic decisions?
“The team is regularly contacted by several parties and potential investors,” a team spokesperson explained. “We do not comment on specific names or individuals. Any discussions are not a matter for the team, but take place between the current shareholders and the interested parties. The team’s main focus is on the immediate task: the start of the racing season and a sustainable recovery of performance on the track.”
Mercedes has not denied Wolff’s interest in the Alpine shares and instead confirmed that they always keep an eye on strategic opportunities: “Mercedes is an important strategic partner of Alpine, and we are kept up to date on the latest developments.”
Although the story was quickly labeled in public as another chapter in the rivalry between Horner and Wolff, in reality it goes far beyond that – it is primarily about strategic interests.
Horner also interested
For Horner, the Otro shares could offer a suitable path for a return to Formula 1. As team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing, the Briton has already won everything and has indicated several times that he would only consider a return to the premier class in a “higher-ranking role” – the acquisition of shares would be part of this ambition.
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From Mercedes’ perspective, the interest also goes far beyond the Horner vs. Wolff duel. First of all, Alpine is a customer team of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) this year. The contract runs until the end of 2030, making the relationship closer than ever. Following the discontinuation of its own Formula 1 engine project in Viry, the French team now uses both power units and gearboxes from Mercedes.
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What happens to the shares of this customer team is therefore an interesting development for Mercedes – because it is directly about who they will work with in the future. Strategic decisions like these do not only affect the Formula 1 sites in Brackley and Brixworth, but the entire strategic direction of the Mercedes Group.
Competition is watching closely
In addition to the commercial attractiveness of Formula 1 and thus every available share package – although the effects of the new regulations remain a big question mark – a sporting component also plays a role.
Last year, McLaren CEO Zak Brown expressed concerns regarding certain ownership structures in Formula 1. Although his comments specifically referred to Red Bull and their ownership of the sister team Racing Bulls, the acquisition of shares in Alpine would also mean a form of partnership. This could further strengthen the synergies between both parties, which is why other Formula 1 teams are also closely monitoring developments.
One crucial difference remains, however: the Renault Group – regardless of who ultimately acquires the Otro Capital shares – would continue to retain a comfortable controlling majority of 76 percent in the Formula 1 team.
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