Alpine’s Formula 1 outfit could be looking to shut down its Renault power unit operation at Viry-Chatillon in search of a customer engine deal, according to reports.
Autosport reports that Alpine is planning to cease its F1 power unit project and avoid developing a new 2026 engine in favour of having one leased from a rival OEM.
The shocking revelation comes in the wake of Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo telling Autocar magazine “We will not sell even a part of this thing.”
However, de Meo acknowledges the deficiencies of the F1 power units produced out of Viry since the dawn of the hybrid era in 2014.
“When we began the hybrid era [in 2014], our engine didn’t perform,” he said.
“We had been world champions with Red Bull but with hybrid, things went wrong.
“Even the engine we developed in 2021 had a 0.2s to 0.5s disadvantage every lap.”
The poor output from Viry’s F1 power units has seen it lose any sort of customer base, with the Renault engine only powering the works Alpine team.
Joe Saward understands that whilst the budget cap for F1 power unit development has been set at $95 million from 2021 to 2025, less than half of that ($40 million) is being spent year on year at Viry.
Moreover, with the cap set to rise to $130 million a year in tandem with the new regulations, a significant step up in investment would be needed for Alpine to keep pace.
Saward points out that engine leases in F1 a capped at $15 million so it’s no surprise that Autosport has learned Alpine Team Principal has allegedly begun discussions with rival manufacturers to secure a deal.
So who could Alpine court to lend them an F1 power unit for 2026 and beyond?
To avoid any meddling with rival manufacturers in the automotive space, Alpine could look to the fledgeling Red Bull Powertrains operation.
Ironically, Red Bull ditched Renault for Honda in 2019 after years of dissatisfaction with the underperforming Viry product.
Still, with Red Bull starting its power unit development anew, it would be unlikely the Milton Keynes operation could stretch beyond supplying the two Red Bull-owned teams.
The same could be said for Audi, which has enough on its plate to produce a power unit for its 2026 takeover of Sauber.
The most likely supplier would be Mercedes, which will lose a customer in 2026 when Aston Martin becomes a works Honda-powered outfit.
Mercedes is no stranger to supplying ‘Team Enstone.’
In 2015, more than half a decade before it would become known as Alpine, the Lotus team ran with Mercedes engines finishing sixth in the Constructors’ standings with 78 points, a dramatic 68-point improvement over its tally scored in 2014 powered by Renault.
If the Viry F1 power unit operation is shut down and Alpine fail to secure a customer deal, the rules permit an OEM will be instructed to supply the team.
Speculation points toward Honda being the likely candidate in this instance.
Regardless, this latest development in Alpine’s F1 saga, which includes a woeful underperforming car, mass staff rotation at a senior level and disharmony amongst its drivers, paints a painful picture not befitting of a works F1 team.
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