F1 News: Wolff dismisses talk of Alpine as Merc 'junior team'

(GMM) Toto Wolff (pictured) has firmly rejected speculation that Alpine could effectively become a Mercedes junior team amid ongoing discussions about the sale of a minority stake in the Enstone-based outfit.

Recent reports indicated that Mercedes had emerged as a potential buyer for the 24 percent shareholding being offloaded by American hedge fund Otro Capital, with Christian Horner and a group of investors also linked with the stake.

The speculation intensified because Alpine has already switched to Mercedes customer power units after Renault ended its own works engine program ahead of Formula 1’s new regulatory cycle.

But Wolff has moved to dismiss suggestions the move could turn Alpine into a satellite operation for the German marque.

“No,” he told L’Equipe. “And I’m telling you in big letters. NO. We don’t want a junior team. Period.”

The Mercedes team boss, however, stopped short of directly ruling out interest in the minority stake itself.

Otro Capital acquired its 24 percent shareholding in Alpine in mid-2023 for around 200 million euros, with Renault Group retaining the remaining 76 percent.

The investment consortium at the time included a number of high-profile figures from the worlds of sport and entertainment.

Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore recently confirmed that three or four potential buyers are currently evaluating the stake, including Mercedes, though he stressed the minority shareholding carries no operational control.