Mercedes is actively negotiating to acquire a 24 per cent stake in Alpine, Flavio Briatore has confirmed, placing one of the sport's dominant forces in direct commercial conversation with an Enstone team that has struggled at the back of the grid through the opening rounds of 2026.
The Italian, back at Alpine in an executive advisory capacity, spoke openly about the ownership shuffle after a difficult Australian Grand Prix weekend in which the team collected a solitary point via Pierre Gasly. The stake up for sale is held by an American investment fund — not the Renault Group — and Briatore indicated the auction-style process is well progressed.
"I know there's negotiation from Mercedes," Briatore said. "We see, in this moment, we have three or four potential buyers. We're talking about the share — nothing to do with [the team itself]. It's the share held by this H Fund, an American fund. They want to sell the 24 per cent, and there are a few candidates ready to do the deal."
A non-controlling position just under the 25 per cent mark would give the successful bidder a financial seat at the table without decision-making authority — a structure Briatore described bluntly as being a "passenger" rather than a partner. For Mercedes, though, even a passenger seat inside a rival constructor is a notable commercial positioning given the political sensitivities of F1's expanding ownership map.
Briatore was equally direct about Alpine's on-track reality. The team is targeting a best-of-the-rest fight for P7 and P8 in the constructors' order this season, behind a clear top four of front-running outfits. He framed Alpine's current position as analogous to the years when Red Bull ruled the sport, arguing that catching a dominant rival takes time, iteration, and humility.
"We need to learn and try to do better," he said. "Congratulations, honestly, [they've] done a better job than us."
Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley, asked about the prospect of Mercedes securing an equity foothold in a competitor, offered a notably relaxed take. "The sport has very clear governance. I don't see any conflicts of interest or concerns on our side at all, to be honest," he said. "Just watching it, eating the popcorn, and enjoying the show."
With Cadillac joining the grid, Audi taking over Sauber, and now Mercedes circling Alpine's minority shareholding, the commercial architecture of the sport is moving quickly. Briatore, for his part, conceded the picture is fluid: "Every day is a new situation."
