FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem warns that one company may not be allowed to own two F1 teams. His statements follow the alleged interest of Mercedes in a stake in Alpine. With this, the Emirati indirectly also questions Red Bull and Racing Bulls. McLaren CEO Zak Brown has previously targeted the Austrian constructor, who have for years made grateful use of a sister team.
It has been known for some time that a minority stake in the Alpine F1 team is for sale. Investment group Otro Capital bought into the French team in 2023 and acquired a 24 percent stake. Under the supervision of Alpine parent company Renault, this share package is now for sale. After prolonged interest from former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner – who reportedly represents a consortium of investors – Mercedes also emerged as a bidder in March.
‘Not 100 percent behind it’
Alpine boss Flavio Briatore confirmed that the Silberpfeile are one of the potential buyers. “At the moment there are three or four interested parties,” said the Italian. “Some of them are ready to close a deal.” If Mercedes acquires an ownership stake in Alpine, it will follow in the footsteps of Red Bull, which already has multiple teams under its wings with the eponymous F1 team and Racing Bulls. However, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated in Miami that he is against constructions where one company owns multiple teams, and is investigating whether such a takeover of Alpine is allowed.
“Who isn’t interested in a stake in Alpine?” said the Emirati. “Almost everyone is involved. It’s fine to own two teams, as long as it’s for the right reasons,” he responded when asked. “As long as you don’t do it to prevent others from taking over, or to gain more voting rights when introducing new regulations – then it’s okay.” Personally, Sulayem believes that housing two teams within one company is ‘not the right way’. “We are investigating it, because it remains a complicated issue. We must not lose sight of the sporting side of the story,” he emphasized. “Once we do, support for the sport disappears. So, as I said, I am not fully behind this construction.”
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