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Christian Horner could be spurned by his old rival, Toto Wolff, as Mercedes have emerged as surprise bidders for a stake in Alpine!
Horner, who was dismissed as Red Bull CEO and team principal last season, has been plotting to make his F1 comeback through Alpine.
As part of a consortium, Christian Horner looked to purchase a stake in Alpine that currently belongs to Otro Capital.
Prove me wrong: Christian Horner is the best person Alpine can hire in 2026
There were some concerns that Horner’s desire to be Alpine’s majority owner could be blocked by Renault, who wouldn’t sell enough of their equity to make that happen.
But it appears it’s not Renault Horner must worry about right now, but instead Mercedes, who have emerged as surprise bidders.
READ MORE: David Coulthard thinks Christian Horner has a ‘hunger’ to replicate Red Bull success in F1 return
Toto Wolff and Mercedes launch surprise interest in Alpine amid Christian Horner interest
According to Telegraph Sport’s Tom Cary, Toto Wolff and Mercedes have declared their interest in acquiring Otro Capital’s 24% stake in Alpine.
Cary also added that the venture is being led by Wolff himself, who is looking to hijack Horner’s purchase attempt at the 11th hour.
“Mercedes have emerged as a surprise bidder for the same stake in Alpine that Christian Horner is eyeing up, Telegraph Sport can reveal.”
“In a fascinating development in terms of F1 politics, it appears Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, is leading a bid to buy Otro Capital’s 24 per cent stake in the Enstone team, the same stake Horner is known to be interested in.”
While Flavio Briatore, Alpine executive advisor, had mentioned several groups looking to purchase Otro Capital’s equity in Alpine, he never mentioned Mercedes directly.
Who is the best person to run Alpine in Formula 1: Christian Horner, Toto Wolff or Flavio Briatore?
READ MORE: Christian Horner deal to join Alpine ‘on its way’ ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season
Christian Horner could lose Alpine takeover despite Mercedes not acquiring controlling interest
Should Otro Capital agree to sell their equity in Alpine to Mercedes, there would be no takeover opportunity like there is for Christian Horner.
Renault is unlikely to sell any part of their 76% controlling share in Alpine to Mercedes, despite a fruitful relationship between the two.
Mercedes have agreed to supply power units and gearboxes to Alpine until 2030. It’s natural to assume that this relationship will only grow further should Mercedes’ bid succeed.
Christian Horner will feel hard done by this latest development, as his long-term plan for Alpine could be undone at the last moment by his greatest rival.
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