Renault Halts Alpine Stake Talks, Keeps Control

Renault has halted discussions over the sale of Otro Capital’s 24% stake in Alpine’s Formula 1 team, with new CEO François Provost making clear the group will keep control of the operation and remain in F1 for the long term.

Provost said in Monaco that Renault ended the current process because talks were not moving forward. “I was not so satisfied” with the discussions, he said, adding that “progress is not good” and that “at this stage, we decided to stop, so there is no further discussion.” He also told the Press Association there are “no further discussions” with Mercedes now.

That decision follows Mercedes walking away from negotiations at the end of last month over Otro’s minority holding. Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore said the deal collapsed because “the price was too high,” after reports put the value of the stake at $720 million, more than triple what Otro paid in 2023. Briatore said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had been “very fair” in the process, but added: “I don’t think the Otro people are fair.”

Provost used the moment to underline that Renault does not see the stake sale as a threat to its hold on the team. “I want the Renault Group to keep the control of our team, whoever could be the successor of Otro,” he said. Renault owns 76% of Alpine, and Provost insisted that “we will keep control of our Formula 1 team” because “Alpine is an independent team, and we intend to keep control.” He added that the Otro issue “doesn’t impact us at all as a team because we are in control.”

Speculation had also linked Christian Horner to Otro’s shares after Mercedes withdrew, but Provost moved to shut that down as well. “There is no discussion today with Christian,” he said. Company documents cited in the reporting indicate Otro cannot freely transfer its stake until September 2026, with Renault believed to hold approval rights over any deal until then.

The stalled sale comes against a wider backdrop of questions over Renault’s commitment to Formula 1, but Provost’s public message was the opposite. In an interview with RTBF, he said Renault would be in Formula 1 “for a long time” and argued there was no logic in leaving what he called “the most popular sport event in the world.” He said: “For sure, no. We are here for the long term.”

That stance matters as Alpine tries to turn a difficult recent period into something more stable on track. After finishing last in the 2025 constructors’ championship, the team is now running fifth this season, a shift Provost pointed to as part of a broader recovery while Renault insists any future change in Otro’s shareholding will not alter who controls the team.