Exclusive: Alpine could abandon Renault engines and become an F1 customer team in 2026

Alpine, rumoured to be considering ditching its Renault manufacturer power unit, has already held talks with rival outfits about customer engine deals.

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Autosport understands that Alpine is mulling a switch away from using Renault engines in Formula 1 from 2026 onwards and has engaged in discussions with competitors over the possibility of a customer engine arrangement.

After a difficult start to this season, Renault and Alpine’s top brass have evaluated their F1 project and are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to turn things around.

Renault’s current power unit is not only lagging behind its rivals in performance but there are also doubts about whether it will be ready for the next generation of turbo-hybrid systems set to debut in 2026. As such, the French manufacturer is weighing up whether it makes sense to invest heavily in developing its own engine.

It is believed that Renault is assessing a plan that could see it drop its 2026 power unit and instead convert Alpine into a customer outfit.
Sources reveal that Alpine team principal Bruno Fernandes has been considering this possibility in recent weeks and has held talks with rival manufacturers to explore alternatives.

For Renault, the most logical solution to avoid potential manufacturer conflicts would be to source customer engines from Red Bull, which will have its own power unit from 2026.

However, despite talks between the two parties, it is not seen as a likely outcome for the French outfit to strike a deal with Red Bull. Supplying a third team, alongside its own and sister squad Red Bull Racing, would create logistical complexities for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Photo by: Jon Noble

Last year, when discussing the possibility of becoming a customer engine supplier, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “I think first and foremost we’ve got to look after ourselves. We don’t want to overstretch ourselves.

“I think supplying two teams in 2026, let alone potentially a third, is maybe above ideal in that first year. But it gives us additional capacity and capability. So I think first and foremost we need to bed ourselves in and then we’ll have the ability to take on more responsibility.”

If a tie-up with Red Bull doesn’t materialize, Alpine’s most probable alternative would be Mercedes, with the German manufacturer’s supply deal to Aston Martin set to end in 2026 following the British marque’s shift to Honda.

Mercedes’ existing customer engine partnerships with Aston Martin and McLaren have shown that the German carmaker is not averse to providing power units to other automotive companies, as it does not perceive significant commercial drawbacks from such collaborations.

If Alpine decides on a customer engine route and fails to agree terms with another manufacturer, the F1 regulations outline a process for requesting an engine from one of the sport’s current suppliers to prevent a team being left without an engine. This could ultimately lead to Honda being called upon, as it is the only existing manufacturer without plans to supply a second customer team in 2026.

Renault’s commitment

While Alpine’s engine situation appears tenuous, Renault CEO Luca de Meo recently stated his commitment to the team’s future in F1, even amid interest from potential buyers.

Photo by: Michael Potts / Motorsport Images

In an interview with Autocar, de Meo said: “That’s not my style. We’re not even selling part of it. We don’t need the money. There are people around me making offers and talking about it in the media. But we’re not interested. It’s too stupid; I won’t do it.”

Nonetheless, in the lengthy interview, de Meo did acknowledge that Renault has struggled to master the hybrid era’s engine regulations, resulting in its underperformance during the current cycle.

“Since the start of the hybrid era in 2014, our engine wasn’t good,” he said. “We won world championships with Red Bull, but something went wrong in the hybrid era.

“Even in 2021, when we developed the engine, we were 0.2s to 0.5s off per lap. This year we messed up the car. If you put everything together, we’re 1.5s off the pace.”

Switching to a different engine would allow Alpine to acquire a cheaper and more competitive power unit, and becoming a customer team might also make its future more attractive to potential buyers, as the legacy of the Viry-Chatillon engine division would no longer be tied to the F1 project.
Viry is the home of Renault Sport Racing’s headquarters near Paris, where the French manufacturer has designed and produced its F1 engines since the 1970s. Although a step away from grand prix racing would represent a significant shift in focus, it could still play a role in numerous other motorsport activities, including helping to develop the power unit for its WEC Hypercar, which currently uses a modified Mecachrome F2 engine with a specific hybrid system.
When contacted by Autosport, Alpine declined to comment on the matter.