Can you imagine Alpine’s Formula 1 cars? Traditionally powered by Renault engines, as they are in fact the Renault manufacturer team relatively recently rebranded, being fitted with a Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi or Honda engine? This incredible development could happen as early as the 2026 World Championship season, according to recent reports circulating within the motorsport community.
The potential change has sent shockwaves through the F1 world, given Renault’s deep-rooted history and legacy in the sport.
Renault’s history in Formula 1
Renault is one of the most important engine manufacturers in the history of Formula 1. Since the brand’s very first engine entered the championship in 1977, Renault has powered teams to twelve Constructors’ and eleven Drivers’ titles.
This impressive tally of 23 titles places the Renault engine among the giants of the sport, on a par with Mercedes and Ford, and just behind Ferrari’s record 31 titles. Renault’s contribution has been significant and marks it out as a cornerstone of F1 engineering and innovation.
Alpine F1 Team’s Renault legacy
The Alpine F1 Team’s two F1 cars still use a Renault engine today, following in the footsteps of the former Renault F1 Team, which was rebranded in 2021 to Alpine as a marketing ploy. As it stands, Alpine is the only team currently supplied by Renault, a shift that occurred after Red Bull began using its own engines, originally developed by Honda, and McLaren returned to Mercedes power units.
The Alpine F1 Team, a rebranded version of the Renault F1 Team, continues Renault’s legacy in the sport. Based in Enstone, England, the team’s operations centre is a cradle of innovation and competitive spirit. From its days as Toleman in the early 1980s, through the Benetton era, to the Renault F1 Team that won back-to-back World Championships with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006, the facility has seen many changes.
While the Enstone base is responsible for chassis development and overall team operations, the heart of Renault’s engine expertise is in Viry-Châtillon, France. This facility is the birthplace of Renault’s powerful and reliable F1 engines and a testament to French engineering excellence.
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Rumours of a major shift
According to British journalists from Autosport and Motorsport, Alpine is planning to abandon the Renault engine from the 2026 season.
This coincides with a major overhaul of the F1 regulations, which will see new power units replace the current ones. To avoid the significant costs associated with developing a completely new engine, Alpine F1 may consider purchasing engines from competitors.
Potential partnerships: Mercedes, Honda or Ferrari?
There are four main engine manufacturers in the current Formula One championship: Renault, Mercedes, Red Bull (formerly Honda) and Ferrari. As well as powering their own teams, each of these manufacturers also supply engines to various other teams on the grid.
For example, Mercedes engines are used by Williams, Aston Martin and McLaren, while Ferrari supplies engines to Haas and Sauber. With Audi set to supply Sauber from 2026 and Honda re-entering the fray with Aston Martin, the landscape is set to change.
The possibility of Alpine’s F1 cars being powered by one of these engines from the 2026 season would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the F1 world.
Such a move would mark a significant shift in the team’s strategy and could have far-reaching implications for the competitive dynamics of the sport.
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Silence from Alpine
For now, the Alpine F1 Team is remaining tight-lipped about the rumours. Luca de Meo, CEO of the Renault Group, recently stated that the Alpine F1 team is not for sale, but did not mention the future of its engines. This ambiguity has only fuelled speculation about a possible engine change.
The rumour that Alpine F1 is abandoning Renault engines for those of a competitor is both intriguing and surprising. Given Renault’s storied history and significant contribution to the sport, such a decision would be a monumental change. As the 2026 season approaches and regulatory changes loom, the motorsport community is eagerly awaiting further developments.
Whether Alpine does indeed partner with a new engine supplier remains to be seen, but the impact of such a move would be felt across the Formula One grid.
Briatore’s return and potential impact
In a move that has taken the Formula One world by surprise, Flavio Briatore has been asked by Renault president Luca de Meo to revive the struggling Alpine team. This unexpected return sees the renowned manager, once synonymous with F1 success and scandal, step back into the spotlight to tackle Alpine’s ongoing challenges.
Briatore’s presence could be instrumental in making a bombshell decision such as Alpine dropping Renault engines and possibly even seeing Renault leave the sport altogether.
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Special supervisory role for Briatore
Briatore’s new role is described as that of a special supervisor, one that does not require him to be constantly involved in on-track activities. His return marks a significant reunion with Renault, the team with whom he won two Drivers’ World Championships with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.
These triumphs were mirrored by successive Constructors’ Championships, cementing Briatore’s name in F1 history. Prior to that, when the Renault team was known as Benetton, Briatore led the team to success, giving Michael Schumacher his first two drivers’ titles.
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A controversial story
However, Briatore’s tenure was also marked by the infamous 2008 Singapore Grand Prix scandal, in which Nelson Piquet Jr’s crash was allegedly staged to help Alonso win the race. The controversy led to Briatore being banned from the sport, although he was later reinstated, and eventually led to his departure from F1 in 2009.
Despite this, Briatore never completely cut his ties with the world of Formula One. He maintained close relationships with key figures in the sport, including his long-standing friendship with Bernie Ecclestone, and continued as Fernando Alonso’s manager.
Challenges and recruitment
Renault rebranded its F1 team as Alpine in 2021 to promote its road car division. However, the team has struggled considerably. After a single victory in 2021 with Esteban Ocon in Hungary and a respectable fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022, helped by Alonso, Ocon’s team-mate at the time, their performance has since declined.
They dropped to sixth place in 2023 and have scored just two points in the current season, which has been marred by internal conflicts between drivers Pierre Gasly and Ocon.
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Recruitment and technical overhaul
One of Briatore’s biggest challenges is the lack of talented designers and key personnel within the team. Alpine recently poached aerodynamicist David Sanchez from Ferrari and McLaren, but the market for brilliant technical minds is highly competitive and limited.
Having been away from the inner workings of F1 for some time, Briatore faces the task of navigating a landscape where top engineers and designers are closely guarded by their teams.
But Briatore is undeterred. His efforts to revive Alpine have included contacting various designers and even holding talks with Adrian Newey, a highly sought-after figure in F1 negotiations. Although a new organisational structure has yet to be finalised, the ongoing recruitment drive reflects Briatore’s commitment to building a competitive team.
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Conclusion
The rumour that Alpine F1 is abandoning Renault engines in favour of those of a competitor, coupled with the return of Flavio Briatore, presents an intriguing and complex scenario. Given Renault’s storied history and significant contribution to the sport, such decisions would represent monumental changes.
As the 2026 season approaches and regulatory changes loom, the motorsport community is eagerly awaiting further developments. Whether Alpine does indeed partner with a new engine supplier, or Renault exits F1, remains to be seen, but the impact of such a move would be felt across the Formula One grid.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
