After buying their stake in Alpine just a few years ago, Otro Capital are now looking to sell it off at some point this year. Initially, a consortium that was headed by Christian Horner appeared to be the frontrunners to take over the 24% ownership stake, but the group’s interest has not been solidified, and a surprising competing party is now rumored to be involved.
Rumors earlier this week suggested that Toto Wolff could be looking to purchase that stake in Alpine himself. However, it now appears that the entire Mercedes ownership group are interested. The motives for the interest are unknown, but it would rekindle a rivalry between Wolff and Horner, one that seemingly ended when the latter was relieved of his duties at Red Bull in 2025.
Alpine and Mercedes have maintained a good relationship, with the Silver Arrows strengthening it by supplying Alpine with their engines starting in 2026, and it's safe to say that Alpine have seen some improvement thus far, compared to where they were with their in-house engines over the past few seasons.
What Mercedes ownership could mean
Purchasing 24% of Alpine would make the Mercedes ownership group minority owners, giving them rather limited control of the team. Considering Alpine’s trajectory, Mercedes could look to purchase a greater stake down the road to make themselves the majority owners.
In that case, it would not be too difficult to convert Alpine into a Mercedes sister team, a structure similar to the one operated by Red Bull and Racing Bulls. The change would allow Mercedes to develop more of their junior drivers down the road.
Mercedes currently have 10 junior drivers signed to their program, though they are all in karting or a Formula 4 championship. Developing a sister team in Formula 1 could allow one or two of these junior drivers to truly develop their skills even further in F1 before eventually making a jump to the factory team.
Given the fact that Otro Capital’s deadline to sell their stake is later this year, rumors will inevitably become stronger as the season progresses. If Mercedes see a clear path regarding what this deal can do for themselves as well as Alpine, there is no denying the genuine possibility of the stake being sold to the Silver Arrows, rather than Horner’s consortium.