Mercedes and Alpine battle.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said they “like the thought of replacing Aston Martin” in an update on power unit supply talks with Alpine.
Could the current works team status of Alpine in Formula 1, achieved through their exclusive use of the Renault power unit, be altered with the arrival of the new generation of power units in F1 2026?
Mercedes ‘open-minded’ on Alpine engine deal
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper
There were rumors circulating that Alpine was contemplating a shift from the Renault PU and transforming into a customer team. During the British Grand Prix, Wolff confirmed the occurrence of “exploratory discussions” with the French manufacturer regarding this matter.
With current Mercedes customer Aston Martin switching allegiances to Honda from F1 2026, that could open the door for an Alpine alliance with Wolff confirming that they “like the thought” of bringing another customer on board for the new regulatory era.
Mercedes has effectively conveyed its “open-minded” approach to Alpine.
When asked by various media outlets, such as PlanetF1.com, if discussions had been held with Alpine and the time it might take to finalize a deal, Wolff responded, “It’s a complex situation. We are open to the idea of replacing Aston Martin with another team due to the valuable knowledge and experience gained from such a transition.”
In my opinion, our organization is structured in a way that benefits from having more power units. This is because it helps accelerate various developments and improves overall reliability.
“This is the extent of it. I believe it didn’t progress further than merely sharing opinions or engaging in exploratory discussions, you know.”
“I believe Alpine needs to make a decision regarding their Formula 1 engine programme. Once they have made that strategic choice, we can proceed with our agreements. However, we are open-minded and have conveyed this to them.”
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Alpine is running out of time to make a decision regarding the direction they want to take, as the new era of Formula 1 is just a year-and-a-half ahead.
Wolff was asked if he believed a resolution by the F1 2024 summer break could be achieved.
He responded, saying, “No, that decision is excessively complex and will have long-lasting impact, which makes it unsuitable for Alpine to undertake.”
Alpine sit P8 in the current F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship standings with nine points on the board.
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