The Mafia Reunion: A Formula 1 Rumor That Refuses to Fade
In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, where engines roar louder than whispers and alliances shift faster than lap times, the summer of 2025 brought a storm of speculation and a possible Mafia reunion.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
It started with a bombshell rumor: Christian Horner, the ousted Red Bull team principal sacked in July after a turbulent tenure, was eyeing a dramatic comeback. Not just any return, but a power play for an ownership stake in the struggling Alpine team.
And who better to back him than two legends from F1’s shadowy past—Bernie Ecclestone, the former commercial supremo, and Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s executive advisor with a knack for controversy?
The whispers ignited when Ecclestone, never one to mince words, let slip in an interview that he and Briatore might team up to support Horner’s bid. “It would be like the old mafia getting back together,” Ecclestone quipped, evoking images of F1’s wilder days filled with backroom deals and larger-than-life personalities.
Alpine, owned primarily by the Renault Group with a 24% stake held by the eclectic Otro Capital (featuring celebrities like boxer Anthony Joshua, soccer star Trent Alexander-Arnold, golfer Rory McIlroy, and Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McIlhenney), suddenly seemed ripe for a shake-up.
Briatore quickly poured cold water on the idea, insisting, “I’m not considering anything in this moment,” and adding that Horner “is not in the picture of Alpine” for now. But rumors in F1 are like exhaust fumes—they linger, no matter how hard you try to dispel them.
Fast forward to the bustling paddock at Zandvoort for the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix. The air was thick with the scent of tires and intrigue as team principals gathered for the Friday press conference.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, Horner’s longtime rival and a master of measured diplomacy, found himself squarely in the spotlight. A journalist leaned in with a sly grin: “Flavio has just shot the idea down, but the rumors don’t go away that perhaps Flavio, Christian, and Bernie might unite to buy the Alpine team.
What would you make of coming up against a team potentially owned by Flavio, Christian, and Bernie? One of them a very old adversary and presumably it would be logistically quite difficult for you to live in all of their heads rent free?”
Wolff paused, his trademark calm demeanor unbroken, but a spark of amusement flickered in his eyes. He knew this was F1 at its theatrical best—drama that could eclipse even the fastest qualifying lap. ”
That would be an exciting story, I guess, and would create lots of buzz around Formula 1,” he replied, his Austrian accent adding a touch of gravitas. “I think we need that. Formula 1 has always been about the best racing with exciting drivers and great personalities. And when you look back at the grand era of team owners and team principals—Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Flavio, [Luca di] Montezemolo, and a few others—maybe we need to work on that.”
The room buzzed with anticipation. Wolff leaned forward, embracing the absurdity of the rumor with a nod to its colorful roots. “And if there was such an exciting project, these three guys coming together—all of the mafia reunited—that would give good content, I guess.”
Laughter rippled through the press corps. It was vintage Wolff: turning a potential threat into entertainment, while subtly reminding everyone of F1’s storied history of rivalries and reinventions.
Briatore, sitting nearby and still denying any involvement, couldn’t resist chiming in with his signature flair. “The sharks. The shark mafia,” he interjected, drawing chuckles. Wolff shot back without missing a beat: “Three sharks.” The exchange was pure gold— a glimpse into the personalities that had shaped the sport, now colliding in a hypothetical alliance that could either revitalize Alpine or descend into chaos.
As the conference wrapped up, Wolff’s words hung in the air like qualifying smoke. In a sport where yesterday’s enemy could be tomorrow’s partner, the idea of Ecclestone, Horner, and Briatore reforming their “mafia” wasn’t just gossip; it was a reminder of why fans tuned in.
Would the trio actually reunite, injecting fresh drama into Alpine’s grid struggles? Or would it fizzle like so many F1 rumors? Only time—and perhaps the next race weekend—would tell. But for now, Toto Wolff had ensured the story roared on, fueling the buzz that keeps Formula 1’s engine running.