Christian Horner faces seven-way battle for major Alpine F1 stake

The surge in competition could also be bad news for former Red Bull CEO and team principal Christian Horner, with Alpine seen as his best available route back into Formula 1.

Briatore flatly denied that the team is being sold in full, insisting that both Alpine and Renault are committed to staying in Formula 1. He confirmed, however, that competition for the minority shareholding has intensified since Renault's three-year veto over the sale of Otro's stake officially expired on September 7, as GPblog previously reported.

Otro Capital purchased the 24 per cent holding in 2023 for $200million [£150m], but the asking price has ballooned alongside a broader surge in F1 team valuations.

Mercedes were among the interested bidders earlier this year but walked away over the price. Briatore argued that even a €3billion [£2.2bn] overall team valuation understates Alpine's true worth, insisting that some parties are prepared to spend far more to acquire an F1 team.

The team's upcoming rebrand to Gucci Racing Alpine from 2027 will only add to its commercial appeal.

Horner has been open about wanting more than a team principal position in any comeback, instead seeking a role with an equity stake attached, a structure similar to the one Toto Wolff holds at Mercedes.

Alpine's Otro shareholding has been viewed as his most logical target, but with at least seven rival parties now circling the same 24 per cent, the former Red Bull boss faces far stiffer competition than when he was first linked with the stake at Alpine's car launch in January.

The ownership saga is not Alpine's only live conflict. As GPblog exclusively reported on Wednesday, the Enstone team is blocking Craig Skinner's move to Cadillac, claiming a prior binding employment contract with the former Red Bull chief designer.

Cadillac announced Skinner as its new Chief Development Engineer this week, but Alpine is holding firm on its contractual rights, meaning the engineer could be required to sit on the sidelines for the time being.

Between a contested ownership stake, a high-profile personnel battle and a luxury rebrand on the horizon, Alpine is a team navigating several fronts simultaneously. Briatore, for his part, appears comfortable letting the crowded field of bidders run.