Toto Wolff bids to stop Christian Horner F1 comeback with Alpine offer | F1 | Sport

Toto Wolff is said to have launched a bombshell bid to buy into Alpine – rivalling former nemesis Christian Horner‘s own efforts to secure a stake in the Formula 1 team. A 24 percent stake is up for grabs with Otro Capital, who bought those shares in 2023 for around £170million, looking to sell for up to three times that amount less than three years on.

Horner’s interest was confirmed in January when Flavio Briatore told reporters, including Express Sport, at their season launch event in Barcelona that a consortium led by the former Red Bull chief was one of “a few groups” who had been in contact over the available shares. But what he did not say at the time was that Mercedes‘ F1 team are also exploring a potential purchase.

Mercedes already have an existing relationship with Alpine, having struck a deal to begin supplying engines to them from this season after Briatore took the controversial decision to axe Renault’s own works power unit programme after returning as an executive adviser to the F1 team.

That agreement runs until 2030 but, as reported by The Telegraph, it seems Wolff is interested in further strengthening ties between the two teams. It is perfectly legal for one F1 team to partly or wholly own another – Red Bull have sister team Racing Bulls, to which it supplies engines while also using to blood young drivers coming through their academy in F1.

The ties that already exist would surely give Mercedes the edge if it comes down to Alpine owners Renault choosing who to approve as a new investor in their team. Otro Capital are the ones selling but the French carmaker, and Briatore, have the power to veto should they decide they don’t want to be working with any of the interested parties.

It is a blow to Horner, who has been lining up investors since he was axed by Red Bull last July. His desire to secure an early return to the F1 paddock this year is well-known and, although the motivations behind Wolff’s interest in the Alpine stake are not known, it is entirely plausible that the Austrian sees the chance to deny his old rival a route back into the sport as a positive.

Otro Capital did not wish to comment on the story, while a Mercedes team spokesperson would only tell The Telegraph: “Mercedes is a key strategic partner of Alpine and we are being kept apprised of the latest developments.”

A spokesperson for Alpine added: “The team is regularly approached and contacted by multiple parties and potential investors. 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.”