Mercedes and Alpine logos.
Renault have reportedly launched a study into the possible future of its Viry-Chatillon engine base, as the possibility of moving to Mercedes customer power in Formula 1 appears to be gathering pace.
Alpine, the only current team on the grid which now uses Renault power and is the sporting branch of the Renault brand, has struggled so far this season, and multiple reports from Motorsport.com have stated that a customer deal with Mercedes could be in the offing, with Renault potentially abandoning its own works power unit for the 2026 season in the process – though no final decision is said to have been taken.
Alpine reportedly weighing up Mercedes engines for F1 2026
Motorsport.com claim talks between Alpine and Mercedes have reached an ‘advanced stage’, with new Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore having been an advocate of moving to customer power due to the belief that the team would be better served in this form.
Although no agreement has been officially confirmed, there are reports suggesting that a preliminary deal has been established. This potential deal would not only involve Alpine utilizing the Mercedes gearbox and suspension, similar to Aston Martin, but it could also lead to a partnership starting as early as the 2025 season, provided that the agreement is finalized in a timely manner.
During a media interaction at Silverstone, Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, expressed his thoughts on the possibility of Alpine becoming engine customers in the future. He acknowledged that the situation is complex since they are inclined towards replacing Aston Martin with another team, as it offers valuable learning opportunities.
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In my opinion, our organization is structured in a way that having more power units is beneficial for accelerating developments and improving reliability.
The discussions and opinions exchanged did not progress beyond that. Alpine must make a decision regarding their Formula 1 engine program – whether they wish to proceed with it or not.
“We will only proceed with our agreements once they have made the strategic decision. However, we remain open-minded and have clearly communicated this to them.”
As for the future of the current engine facility in Viry-Chatillon, Renault senior management have reportedly informed Alpine about a potential change of direction if its F1 involvement were to change course – though no final decision has yet been taken, but it is believed the facility would remain crucial to the company and its sporting and automotive endeavours in future.
When approached by PlanetF1.com, Alpine chose not to provide any comments on the reports.
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