Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has reportedly launched a bid to buy a minority stake at Alpine – the same stake arch rival Christian Horner is interested in.
Ex-Red Bull F1 team principal Horner, who lost his job last summer after 20 years leading the outfit, is known to be making enquiries with a group of investors into purchasing Otro Capital’s 24 per cent stake in Alpine, the Renault-owned team managed by Flavio Briatore.
Alpine confirmed Horner’s interest in the stake back in January but, now, Wolff has reportedly launched his own bid at the start of the new F1 season, in which Alpine are using Mercedes power units for the first time.
A report in The Telegraph details that the stake, owned by the American private equity firm which has investors who include sports stars Rory McIlroy, Anthony Joshua and Trent Alexander-Arnold, is believed to be worth in the region of £1.5bn. The Independent has approached Otro Capital, The Telegraph and Mercedes for comment.
Horner is known to be interested in acquiring a stake in any F1 team he joins. The 52-year-old has also been linked with Aston Martin, who have endured a horrid start to the 2026 campaign. He also worked alongside Aston’s team principal and F1 design guru Adrian Newey at Red Bull for nearly two decades.
Horner, who led Red Bull to 14 world championships in total, acknowledged at a public event in Dublin in January that he has “unfinished business” in Formula 1. He has also been linked with Ferrari, though a move to Maranello is unlikely given he is keen on owning a stake in any new team.
Horner enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Wolff as both fought for world championships, most notably in 2021 when Max Verstappen pipped Lewis Hamilton to the title in controversial circumstances in Abu Dhabi.
Their relationship has warmed in recent years, with Horner revealing a touching text message from Wolff on the new season of Drive to Survive after his sacking last year.
Meanwhile, any potential deal between Mercedes and Alpine would raise further questions about multi-team ownership in F1. McLaren CEO Zak Brown has previously expressed his unhappiness that Red Bull owns two teams in the paddock: the main Red Bull team and feeder outfit Racing Bulls.
Alpine are one of three teams (alongside McLaren and Williams) entered into a power unit partnership with Mercedes – whose engine looks the strongest at the start of this new era after a one-two finish in Melbourne on Sunday – until the end of 2030.
Alpine released a public statement in January about potential bidders, naming Horner as one interested party.
"It is no secret that Otro Capital has held preliminary talks to sell its stake in the team,” a spokesperson said. “With the continued rapid growth of Formula One, the valuation of the teams has been increasing and, not surprisingly, has led to multiple interested parties looking to enter the sport.
"The team is regularly approached and contacted from potential investors, particularly given Otro Capital declared exploratory talks have taken place. One of those parties to express an interest is a group of investors, which also includes Christian Horner.
“Any approaches or discussions are with the existing shareholders, Otro Capital (24 per cent) and Renault Group (76 per cent).”
Horner, who received a reported £80m payout after leaving Red Bull, can officially return to the sport from the start of May.
A Mercedes spokesperson told The Telegraph: “Mercedes is a key strategic partner of Alpine and we are being kept apprised of the latest developments.”
An Alpine statement read: “We do not comment on any specific names or individuals. Any discussions are not a matter for the team, they’re between the stakeholders and parties expressing an interest. The primary focus is the immediate task at hand which is the start of the racing season and seeing a sustained recovery of performance on track.”
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