Christian Horner and Mercedes face Alpine F1 move being hijacked by billionaire

The battle for a minority stake in Alpine is heating up after a third party became linked with a move.

Mercedes-Benz Group is reportedly prepared to acquire the shares, while former Red Bull boss Christian Horner has also expressed interest in the French outfit.

According to PlanetF1, however, the pair now face stiff competition from a wealthy businessman outside the traditional circles.

Otro Capital currently holds a 24 percent stake in the team. The consortium includes several Hollywood stars and renowned athletes, but corporate documents reveal that Otro Capital won’t be allowed to sell its shares until after September this year.

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Owner of the New York Mets steps in

Steven Cohen, the owner of the New York Mets, has now entered the fray. Cohen acquired the Mets in 2020 for about $2.4 billion and has since raised the team’s payroll cap and drastically improved their performance.

This initiative attracted a host of sponsors and opened up new commercial opportunities—a plan that Cohen hopes to replicate with Alpine.

Alpine pressures Otro Capital to sell

The potential change in ownership after September is partly driven by Alpine’s growing dissatisfaction with Otro Capital.

The consortium was originally expected to enhance the image of both Renault and the F1 team, but that promise has not been fulfilled.

As a result, Alpine is urging the group to sell its stake, paving the way for possible new owners such as Mercedes, Horner, or even Steven Cohen.

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