Renault intervened to end talks over the sale of co-owner Otro Capital's share in its Formula 1 team because it was not satisfied with the progress being made.

Mercedes was in discussions to purchase Otro's 24% minority stake in the Alpine-branded F1 team but withdrew at the end of last month.

In Monaco, Alpine F1 boss Flavio Briatore said that was because "the price was too high" - it was reported that Otro set a price of $720million for its stake, more than triple what it paid in 2023.

Briatore said he felt Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was "very fair" in negotiations but added: "I don't think the Otro people are fair."

Ex-Red Bull boss Christian Horner has also been involved in a consortium that is interested in Otro's shares, so could be perceived to be best placed now that Mercedes has withdrawn.

However, Renault has a veto right on Otro's shares until September - and is understood to have some kind of reduced influence over any sale beyond that.

And the company has decided to cease any talks around a potential Otro sale for the time being.

Renault CEO Francois Provost told media including TV broadcaster Viaplay in Monaco that he was "not so satisfied" with discussions over Otro selling its shares because "progress is not good".

"At this stage, we decided to stop, so there is no further discussion," he said.

This is understood to even include the matter of when talks would resume let alone be resolved.

Renault's initial sale of 24% of the team to Otro was widely felt at the time to be a signal that its commitment to F1 was wobbling.

That was furthered when Briatore joined as ex-Renault boss Luca de Meo's executive adviser and, soon after, Renault decided to scrap its works F1 engine project to become a Mercedes customer for 2026.

In recent years, a high turnover of senior staff - across both Alpine management and F1 team leadership including senior technical and sporting roles - has also damaged the team's credibility and on-track performance.

But Briatore taking charge of the team he once led to world titles has this year started to yield a turnaround. Together with new Alpine F1 managing director Steve Nielsen leading the Enstone team on a day-to-day basis, Alpine has finally begun to benefit from stability.

After finishing last in the championship in 2025, partly a result of the decision to switch its entire development focus to the new 2026 car rules, Alpine is currently fifth place in the constructors' championship and would have scored its first podium of the year in Monaco last weekend but for Pierre Gasly's brace of pitlane speeding penalties.

It also seems that the relationship at corporate level has steadied and given Alpine the support required without leading to problematic interference - something that had blighted the team pre-Briatore.

"Now I see much more motivation, much more rigour, much more seriousness to deliver," said Provost.

He also said that Renault "whatever will happen in the future, Renault Group will continue to control" - an implication it could one day decide to sell another minority stake but has no desire to relinquish a majority share.

"Formula 1 is the most popular sport event in the world," he said. "So what would be the rationale for a group like Renault to have the chance to be there, to quit?

"For sure, no. We are here for the long term."