Long-time Formula 1 manufacturer might not have much time left

The 2026 regulations will produce a massive change to Formula 1, and teams have already begun preparing the logistics when it comes to their primary suppliers. Some teams on the grid will change their suppliers, and Alpine could be one of them.

Renault’s Formula 1 powertrains seem to be losing their effectiveness in comparison to other powertrain manufacturers such as Mercedes, Honda, and Ferrari.

It was clear that Renault were beginning to lose their touch in Formula 1 after Red Bull dropped them in favor of Honda in 2019. Just a few years after that, Renault ended up rebranding as Alpine while still maintaining ownership of the team.

In recent news, Alpine have actively begun exploring the potential of switching from a works team to a customer team with the motive of starting the next era of Formula 1 strongly. The team’s management has considered potentially forming a partnership with Ferrari or Mercedes.

Toto Wolff has publicly addressed the speculation and is willing to welcome Alpine with open arms. After all, it would likely not add any additional stress on Mercedes, as Aston Martin plan to switch from Mercedes to Honda in 2026. Additionally, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has stated that he does not mind Alpine becoming a fellow customer team of Mercedes.

What could a change lead to for Alpine?

Considering how well things worked out for Red Bull since switching to Honda from Renault, Alpine are looking to have a similar level of success. After an overhaul of staff toward the middle of last season while welcoming several new high-profile investors, the team are gearing up for a quick improvement after their drop-off from a few seasons ago.

With recent links to Carlos Sainz Jr. as well, due to the recommendation from the returning Flavio Briatore, the powertrain that Alpine decide to go with following the regulation change may have an impact on securing the Spaniard’s signature.

Early indications suggest that Mercedes will have a good engine for Formula 1's new era, which would explain why Alex Albon recently decided to continue his tenure at Williams. Given the fact that Sainz is one of the best drivers in Formula 1 and has performed quite equally when compared to teammate Charles Leclerc, the 29-year-old will not want to take a step back from his competitiveness next season.

Another potential advantage of Alpine becoming a customer team is the status of McLaren. There is a possibility that McLaren will drop Mercedes in favor of Red Bull, as Brown has reportedly been in regular contact with Red Bull officials. If Mercedes do shrink their number of customer teams even further, Alpine would become one of the long-term beneficiaries.

With Renault’s continuous decline in Formula 1, they could perhaps put the team up for sale. Things have not been going well for them and if the very team they own want to drop their powertrain, it should say enough about where they stand.

Though several offers have been sent to Renault about purchasing Alpine, Renault CEO Luca de Meo has ruled out any potential sale. But the idea could be revisited toward the end of the 2024 season and into 2025. In the end, Alpine dropping Renault in favor of Mercedes’ powertrain is the best move for them heading into the 2026 season.