Christian Horner could be denied F1 return by Toto Wolff

Christian Horner, Toto Wolff — Photo: © IMAGO

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Christian Horner could be denied F1 return by Toto Wolff

Mercedes reportedly are looking to purchase a stake in a rival team

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 11 March 2026 17:00

Christian Horner’s potential route back into Formula 1 could face a major obstacle after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reportedly emerged as an unexpected contender to buy a stake in the Alpine team.

Horner has recently been linked with purchasing the 24 per cent share in Alpine currently owned by Otro Capital. Earlier this year, team executive Flavio Briatore confirmed that discussions were taking place regarding a possible sale of the stake.

However, The Telegraph reports that Wolff has now entered the picture, claiming the Mercedes team principal is heading a rival bid to acquire the same shareholding that Horner has been eyeing.

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Alongside confirming Horner's interest in Alpine, Briatore also added that 'a few groups' were also curious about the stake, but did not confirm whether Mercedes were one of these parties.

Otro Capital declined to comment on the potential purchase, and a Mercedes spokesperson said: "Mercedes is a key strategic partner of Alpine and we are being kept apprised of the latest developments."

"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."

What does Mercedes interest mean for Horner?

Mercedes will supply Alpine with their engines until at least the end of 2030, and while the Renault Group would continue to own 76 per cent of Alpine, Mercedes could perhaps use their engine relationship as leverage against a Horner deal.

Greater synergy between Mercedes and Alpine also opens the door to the question: Could Alpine become Mercedes' sister team?

Red Bull's purchase of Minardi in 2005 saw the birth of their junior team Toro Rosso, which has since been rebranded Alpha Tauri and now Racing Bulls. Are Mercedes about to embark on a similar path?

Even if Alpine didn't become a Mercedes junior team, as partial owners, their relationship could be deemed a conflict of interest, particularly to squads such as McLaren and Ferrari who don't have a similar relationship with rival teams.

Zak Brown for example, has been open about his concern over the connection between Red Bull and Racing Bulls, claiming it compromises sporting fairness.

Either way, Mercedes interest means that Horner's return to the F1 grid may be harder fought than originally anticipated.

Mercedes Christian Horner Toto Wolff Alpine