Alpine to Adopt Mercedes Engines from 2026 Season

The Renault-owned Alpine Formula 1 team is set to utilize Mercedes engines beginning with the 2026 season. This announcement follows a strong performance by Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who secured second and third places, respectively, at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in early November. This agreement, which was made after Renault’s September decision to conclude its proprietary engine program in 2025, is scheduled to last until at least the close of the 2030 season. Furthermore, Alpine will utilize Mercedes-supplied gearboxes starting in 2026, though the team is investigating possibilities for designing these components internally from 2027 onwards. This strategic change, intended to enhance competitiveness following a period where the Renault engine struggled to rival its counterparts, reflects a revised approach at Alpine, after numerous years of not meeting its Formula 1 aspirations. Upon Renault’s re-entry into F1 as a team owner in 2016, it established a five-year objective to contend for world championships. This goal was subsequently adjusted when the team was rebranded as Alpine in 2021, with a new target set to achieve the same objective within 100 races. However, Laurent Rossi, the chief executive responsible for setting that target, was dismissed in 2023, leading to significant management changes at Alpine, marked by the departure of several key personnel. In June of the current year, Luca de Meo, Renault’s chief executive officer, appointed former Renault F1 team principal Flavio Briatore as an executive adviser, tasking him with restructuring the team. Since then, Briatore has named Briton Oliver Oakes as team principal and recently informed Sky Sports Italia that the staff count at the UK facility in Enstone, Oxfordshire, has decreased by 300 individuals, moving from 1,150 to 850. This statement contrasts with remarks he made during a news conference at the Dutch Grand Prix, where he stated he “didn’t want to cut jobs” while simultaneously asserting that the team “didn’t need so many people.” An Alpine spokesperson commented: “The organisation of the F1 team at Enstone has been under review in order to optimise the resources and put the team in a position to work efficiently and strategically, to quickly recover performance and compete again at the sharp end of the grid.” The spokesperson added: “As part of that review process, there are areas of the Enstone team that are going under a restructure, with the sole aim of putting the right organisation in place for the team’s future success.” Alpine commenced the season as the slowest team on the grid but has demonstrated considerable improvement in recent months. A crucial strategic choice made during the wet Sao Paulo Grand Prix on November 3 resulted in Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly securing second and third positions, respectively, behind the victor, Max Verstappen. This outcome propelled the team from ninth to sixth place in the constructors’ championship instantly, representing a potential increase of approximately $30 million (£23.4 million) in prize money if they maintain this position until the season’s conclusion.