Alpine abandons Renault for Mercedes

Divorce will make people talk. According to information from Renault, Alpine will abandon the French engine at the end of the 2025 season and will be powered by Mercedes from 2026. teamconfirming the rumours that were increasingly prevalent in the F1 paddock. This is the first change for the Alpine team’s new consultant Flavio Briatore.

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So by 2026, Mercedes will equip McLaren, Williams and Alpine, as Aston Martin switches to Honda. So why is Alpine switching to Mercedes? There are several reasons. The first is the German technology, whose engines have often been successful during regulatory changes. Then, the cost. Alpine will cost $17 million per year, while the development of a Renault engine, without any guarantee of competitiveness, could exceed $100 million.

Briatore hopes to convince Sainz with this statement

For Viry-Châtillon, where Renault engines are produced, the blow remains too much to bear. This Tuesday the news was announced to all employees, with development work on the 2026 engine coming to an immediate halt. “Renault leaves 350 employees in uncertainty and draws a line under 47 years of expertise in F1 engine group”condemned the CGT in a press release. The mayor of Viry-Châtillon, Jean-Marie Vilain, wrote to the President of the Republic asking him to intervene in the matter. “I know I can count on you to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the defence of this technological flagship, a symbol of French excellence,” the councillor wrote. Renault Group announced that no social program is planned. The plant’s employees can be redeployed in other activities such as endurance racing, Formula E and the development of Dakar engines.

With this move and this statement, Briatore hopes to convince Carlos Sainz to join the Blues in 2025 to partner with Pierre Gasly. Even if the Spaniard is still favored by Williams and Mercedes, the announcement of the Mercedes engine in 2026 could turn the tide.