Mercedes Abandons Alpine Stake Talks Over Valuation Dispute

The prospect of Mercedes taking a foothold inside Alpine has collapsed, with reports suggesting the German manufacturer backed away from acquiring a minority stake after balking at the team's valuation. What looked like a strategically significant alliance has descended into a high-stakes pricing dispute.

Why it matters:

The failed deal would have created a closer manufacturer-team alliance, potentially intensifying F1's debate over shared ownership structures. With McLaren's Zak Brown already sounding alarms about 'A/B teams', any such partnership would have faced heavy scrutiny.

The details:

• Otro Capital sought approximately $720 million for its 24% stake in Alpine, implying a $3 billion overall valuation for the Enstone-based team.
• Mercedes reportedly viewed the team as worth $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion – a gap too wide to bridge.
• BBC Sport sources confirmed: "We understand that discussions have stopped."
• Neither Toto Wolff nor Mercedes have publicly commented.
• Christian Horner's name had surfaced earlier but those talks reportedly faded months ago.

The big picture:

Zak Brown recently sent a six-page letter to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem urging measures to prevent multiple-team ownership. "A/B teams, co-ownership… regardless of who it is, I frown upon it," Brown said. The collapse of the Mercedes-Alpine deal sidesteps immediate scrutiny but keeps the ownership debate alive.

What's next:

Renault Group remains majority owner of Alpine, but the minority stake (24%) is still on the table with no obvious buyer. The uncertainty ensures the ownership story is far from over, adding another layer of intrigue to F1's corporate landscape.