Mercedes is reportedly eyeing Otro Capital's stake in Alpine

A surprising new player has reportedly expressed interest in the shares held by the Otro Capital group in Alpine F1 and the latter is none other than Mercedes Benz, under the leadership of its CEO and shareholder Toto wolff ! In January 2026, Flavio Briatore, executive advisor to the French team, had already confirmed the interest of several parties, including Christian Horner, in the 24% stake in the training program.enstone sold to the consortium led by Otro Capital in 2023.

At the time, this group, formed by Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort Investments and backed by figures such as Ryan Reynolds, Michael B. Jordan, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce, had reached an agreement worth €200 million. While the French team's on-track results have been mixed in recent seasons, its market value has reportedly increased, according to the British daily newspaper. The TelegraphOtro Capital's stake is now estimated at over 500 million euros, for a total valuation of the team ranging between 1,7 and 2 billion euros.

A merger between Toto Wolff's team and Flavio Briatore's wouldn't be entirely illogical, as Mercedes is now supplying the power unit for the A526 this season following the discontinuation of the Viry-Châtillon engine program. It should be noted, however, that any takeover would not grant Mercedes control of the team and would be contingent upon the group's approval. Renaultowning the remaining 76%.

Another name circulating among interested parties was that of Christian Horner. The former boss of Red Bull Racing He certainly hasn't hidden his ambition to return to F1 since his departure from the Austrian team in July 2025. But not as a mere employee. The Briton will settle for nothing less than a shareholding, having received 90 million euros from his split with Red Bull.

If a potential conflict of interest arises between Mercedes and Alpine This might raise questions, as a precedent in Formula 1 suggests such a merger is possible. The German team could indeed choose to follow the model established by Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, the latter notably being used to place young drivers from the Austrian ranks.

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