FIA Could Intervene As Mercedes Eyes Stake In Alpine F1 Team

TL;DR

Mercedes is interested in acquiring Otro Capital's 24% stake in the Alpine F1 team, valued at up to $720 million. The FIA is monitoring the situation due to concerns over multi-team ownership in Formula 1.

Key points

Mercedes is interested in Otro Capital's 24% stake in Alpine.
Alpine's estimated value is around $3 billion.
Otro Capital's stake could be worth up to $720 million.
The FIA is monitoring the situation due to multi-team ownership concerns.
Negotiations are being led by Mercedes, not Toto Wolff.

Mentioned in this story

MercedesAlpineFIAOtro CapitalFlavio BriatoreChristian HornerRed BullToto Wolff

The question of who ends up owning a piece of Alpine matters to the FIA. The subject of multi-team ownership came up again when it emerged that Mercedes was one of the parties interested in buying Otro Capital’s share of Alpine.

Now the FIA is weighing in, and the governing body’s position is, at best, diplomatically tortured.

Otro Capital put its 24% stake in Alpine on the market after paying $233 million for the shares back in 2023. The rising value of Formula 1 means Alpine is now estimated to be worth around $3 billion, putting the stake’s potential price tag as high as $720 million.

Until recently, Christian Horner, the former Red Bull principal, was considered the frontrunner. That changed when Mercedes, now supplying engines to Alpine under a deal running to at least 2030, entered the race and appears to have overtaken his bid.

Alpine’s de facto boss Flavio Briatore clarified the situation, confirming it is Mercedes as an entity in negotiations, not specifically Toto Wolff. “Every day is a new situation,” Briatore said. “But what I want to say, I know it’s the negotiation from Mercedes — not with Toto, with Mercedes — and we’ll see.”

The FIA’s Problem Is Partly of Its Own Making

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem spoke at the Miami Grand Prix and made his personal position clear while simultaneously hedging on everything that matters. “Who isn’t interested in Otro’s share?” Ben Sulayem asked. “Really, everyone’s in the running. But I believe that owning two teams, as long as it’s for the right reason… and what is the right reason?”