Alpine is shaking things up, with the struggling Formula 1 team dropping a major bombshell – confirming they will ditch their Renault engines in 2026, marking a big change in their strategy.
In a statement, Alpine announced that their F1 engine factory, located in Viry-Chatillon near Paris, will be transformed into a new engineering center called Hypertech Alpine by the end of the year.
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The revamped center will focus on developing the future Alpine Supercar and dive deeper into electric motor and battery research. It’ll also continue working on endurance racing and rally programs.
Renault is stepping away from F1 engine development, just in time for the 2026 regulations overhaul. Despite that, Alpine will still be running Renault power units through the 2025 season, before they fully shift gears in 2026.
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“F1 activities at Viry, excluding the development of a new engine, will continue until the end of the 2025 season,” Alpine said in their statement. The monitoring cell will also “aim to maintain the knowledge and skill of experts in this sporting discipline.”
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Alpine has been contemplating this engine supplier switch for a while. Back in July, outgoing team principal Bruno Famin hinted that the team was looking into buying engines from a supplier instead of building their own. Word across the paddock is that Mercedes will likely step in as Alpine’s engine provider starting in 2026.
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