Just when things are beginning to pick up for Alpine,
things have taken a bit of a turn to the
South,
if you believe reports. Apparently Renault are looking at axing
their engine project for Alpine due to needing to save
costs.
Let's have a look at this story because this would
be a huge one if it was true and it
has been rumoured for some time now.
According to reports, Renault is now all but confirming that
it is going to close it's Formula One engine program
altogether as it's now emerging
emerging from France. Alpine speculated sensational move from works Renault
power units to a customer supply of Mercedes engines could
actually take place as early as the start of the
2025 season. And there's another rumor going around that potentially
they could partner with Cadillac who are looking to enter
Formula One as well.
That's a different rumor for another video I will do.
An extraordinary meeting was held on Tuesday to present a
project to transform the very site without any jobs cuts.
So apparently they must be pivoting away from engine engine
manufacturing because we know we know what the French to
like and it's a good thing.
It's a good thing about insulting them is a good
thing.
Stand up for the rights.
They don't take any of this.
If this happens, they strike.
So their jobs have to be protected,
which is great of course,
but that obviously means that something's happening at this proposal
plans to use the resources from the F1 engine program
for specific projects,
just as the development as the hydrogen or how high
power electric engines that a brand needs to grow.
So looking into hydrogen, looking into electric and it makes
sense because Reno have always been have always said that,
you know, they're not going to stick around in F1
if the technology is not applicable to Rd.
cars. And right now, you know,
regular petrol powered and diesel powered cars are being all
phased out.
So it's not that relevant really.
And but yeah, so we'll see.
We'll see what happens with this one.
The source clarified as well.
There's no decision yet, but it could happen in the
coming weeks.
Lekeep correspondence Eric Belderman believes that the initial move away
from Renault engines for Alpine occurred under the impetus of
Flavio Brio.
Sorry, because of course Lavio is back as like an
executive at at Renault.
So I mean it makes sense in a sense if
your engines not produced and if you because they have
no customer teams,
Renault nobody wants their power units.
So they're not really making when they're only supplying themselves.
If they were supplying some other teams,
then perhaps it could be profitable for them,
but just supplying the LP team and nobody else seems
to be not profitable and I could understand it.
I absolutely understand it, you know and a cost cap
here is what's going to save them some money too.
So I I don't think Flavio's done a bad thing
here really.
It's just trying to save face though.
Can you imagine an Alpine Mercedes on the grid?
It's something that we speculated about a lot.
Or an Alpine Cadillac. Not so sure about that to
be honest.
But we'll have to see what happens as Alpine could
become a customer Mercedes powered team for the start of
the new regulations in
2026 or even as early as
2025, provided that the unit can be effectively installed in
the chassis and not divide designed for it.
Yeah, because that's the other thing.
If they go to be a customer team,
they don't have say on how the engines
it's designed, so it has to be something that effectively
the chassis is designed around and they don't want to
do that.
But I don't know how they're going to avoid that
unless it's just very similar between the Mercedes and the
Renault.
I doubt that somehow though,
I'll be honest, obviously they try to sign Carlos Science
for next year too.
And I think this is a very much a stumbling
block.
And it might it might mean that it might mean
that Carlos Science doesn't sign for Alpine because they won't
be a factory team anymore,
despite those saying. And many times that,
you know, Alpine is realistically is only option left.
But it's a fascinating one.
What do you guys think?
Are we going to see an Alpine Mercedes on the
grid next year?
Could we see it in
2026 instead? Let us know in the comments below.
And of course, keep it.
Subscribe right here to the
F1 chronicle.com for much more breaking news content just like
this.