Yesterday at 20:10
Otmar Szafnauer is considering a buyout of the rudderless Alpine F1
team, RacingNews365 can reveal. The former Force India, Racing
Point, Aston Martin, and Alpine team principal has made no secret
of his desire to return to the frontline in F1 after being axed by
the French outfit almost two years ago. Szafnauer recently
confirmed he is in league with a consortium of North American
investors, potentially to finance a 12th team on the grid. The
feeling is, however, that with the 11th team in Cadillac only given
the green light by F1 in March this year, the sport will now bide
its time before opening the door again to expand the grid further.
The entry process behind Cadillac took two years, although there
were complications after it started life as Andretti before its
lead figure in Michael Andretti stepped away, allowing TWG
Motorsports, in tandem with GM, to steer the bid over the line. It
means the possibility of a 12th team is likely a few years away,
meaning Szafnauer and his consortium are looking for a quicker
entry point, which means the purchase of an existing operation. It
is understood that last year Szafnauer made an initial approach for
Alpine to Luca de Meo, who recently resigned as CEO of the Renault
Group. Following a period of consideration, de Meo rebuffed the
move. At present, though, Alpine finds itself in a state of flux.
De Meo's exit has left the team without a senior figure at the helm
to pull the strings and make decisions. It has also been without a
team principal for the past two months following the departure of
Oliver Oakes in early May. Oakes opted to step down following the
arrest of his brother William, who is to stand trial in April 2027
on a charge of possessing large amounts of criminal property, in
the form of cash . Former Benetton and Renault team principal
Flavio Briatore is running Alpine in his role as executive advisor,
although the burden on his shoulders will be lifted in September
when Steve Nielsen joins as managing director to oversee the
running of the team on a day-to-day basis, reporting to the veteran
Italian . Szafnauer is now waiting to see who will replace de Meo,
who will leave the Renault Group on July 15. It is hoped the
incumbent will be more open to the possibility of selling a team
that, from next season, will no longer be powered by Renault
engines. De Meo last year decided to shut down the development
programme for the 2026 power unit, instead preferring Alpine to
become a customer, with a supply from Mercedes. The unknown is what
figure would be placed on Alpine, particularly in an era when
evaluations of all of the F1 teams in recent years have
skyrocketed. Szafnauer has previously insisted that the financiers
behind any bid are serious and have deep pockets, and if Alpine is
vulnerable, their hoped-for swift route into F1 could be on the
cards.
