Mercedes Ends Pursuit of Alpine Shareholding Despite Initial Agreement

Mercedes has reportedly withdrawn from the race to acquire the 24% stake in Alpine currently up for sale.

According to BBC Sport, the asking price for the shareholding owned by investment group Otro Capital was considered significantly above market value.

Mercedes and team principal/CEO Toto Wolff had reportedly agreed in principle with Alpine to purchase the stake from Otro. However, the deal is understood to have stalled after the estimated $720 million (£536 million) valuation proved too steep.

Led by a celebrity-backed consortium featuring Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Michael B. Jordan, Otro initially acquired its stake in Alpine for £171 million in 2023. Alpine is now reportedly valued at around $3 billion.

Mercedes’ interest in the available stake attracted criticism from McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who even wrote to the FIA expressing concerns over the prospect of another A/B team relationship emerging through closer ties between Mercedes and Alpine.

Other interested parties reportedly include an investor group led by former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who has also been linked with a potential Formula 1 venture involving Chinese automotive giant BYD.

Alpine’s attractiveness as an investment proposition was further enhanced last week when the team announced a landmark title sponsorship agreement with Gucci, becoming the first Formula 1 team to secure a luxury fashion house as its title sponsor.

Combined with an improvement in on-track performance, which has lifted Alpine to fifth in the constructors’ championship after finishing last in 2025, the developments suggest the Enstone-based outfit remains firmly committed to achieving success in Formula 1.

That resurgence has undoubtedly been aided by Mercedes-Benz power units, which replaced Renault’s in-house engine programme after years of underwhelming performance under the previous generation of regulations.

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Written by

Jawad Yaqub

An eCommerce Specialist by day and reporting on F1 by night. Jawad is passionate about motorsport, having provided accredited F1 coverage for more than a decade. Live blogging (almost) every grand prix too since 2014, as well as articles on the Supercars Championship. Also keen on sustainability, photography, collecting vinyl, (trying to) expertly barbeque and learning to Dad.

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