Mercedes has launched a bid to buy 24% of Alpine, which would make the team only the second to own two different F1 outfits.
Red Bull owns both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, with Racing Bulls serving as a sister team that has helped bring across young talent with potential and given opportunities to its academy drivers.
Now, Mercedes is eyeing its own second team through a minor stake purchase in Alpine.
Mercedes Grand Prix Limited — the company that owns the Mercedes F1 team, comprising Mercedes-Benz, Ineos, and Toto Wolff — is the group behind the bid for Alpine.
Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas CEO and team principal Toto Wolff arrives at the track before the start of the 2025 US Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas Austin. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
There is competition from former Mercedes foe Christian Horner, who has put together a consortium to buy the team, though, according to the hyper-reliable Chris Medland of RACER, Alpine’s owner, Renault, is a favorite of Mercedes.
The backlash of the possible purchase from Mercedes
While the stake would be non-controlling, there has been plenty of discussion about the potential conflicts of interest that can arise from dual ownership.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has voiced his own concerns with the possible purchase of a stake in Alpine from Mercedes
“As long as you are not trying to take it because you don’t want others to take it, or also get voting power when it comes to the regulations, then maybe it’s OK,” Ben Sulayem has said in the past about Mercedes buying the team.
“But then I do believe that owning two [teams] is not the right way – this is my personal point of view – but we are looking into that because it’s a complicated area.
“We put our people to see, is it possible? Is it allowed? Is it the right thing? There is something called a sporting side. If we lose the sporting spirit, I believe that there will not be any more support [from F1 fans]. So to me, I’m not with it 100%.”
It is important to note that Mercedes has a power unit deal with Alpine, making the French team a customer of Mercedes. There is already an existing relationship that could be in the difference in any kind of agreement.
For Christian Horner, he would be missing out on a possible avenue to return to the sport.
