Summary
- Flavio Briatore confirmed Mercedes is among the potential buyers eyeing a 24 percent stake in the BWT Alpine F1 Team
- The shares are currently held by US-based investment firm Otro Capital, which originally acquired its stake in 2023
- Other interested parties include a group tied to former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner
Mercedes is officially in the mix to acquire a 24% minority stake in the BWT Alpine F1 Team. The high-profile interest was confirmed by Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. Currently owned by the US-based private equity firm Otro Capital — part of a 2023 investment consortium alongside Maximum Effort Investments and RedBird Capital Partners — the shares are now on the market, sparking a bidding war among motorsport heavyweights.
Briatore made it a point to clarify that the ongoing negotiations are strictly with Mercedes as a corporate entity, distancing the talks from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff in any personal capacity. According to the Alpine advisor, there are currently three or four potential buyers lining up to close the deal for the Otro shares, though Briatore firmly shot down rumors that he would personally buy into the team.
Adding fuel to the fire, an investment group linked to former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has also shown major interest in the 24 percent stake. While the impending investment shift shakes up the paddock, Renault Group will continue to hold its 76 percent majority ownership of the Alpine operation. Despite the potential overlap of Mercedes supplying engines to Alpine until 2030 while holding equity, rival executives like Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley have brushed off any major conflict-of-interest concerns.
