Since the departure of Cyril Abiteboul, what was once the Renault team has experienced a slow but steady decline, leaving it occupying the last positions on the grid. Luca De Meo, head of the French group, has repeatedly stated his intention to elevate Alpine, basing this future project on the Ferrari model.
Currently sitting in ninth place in the standings, ahead of only a Sauber team increasingly focused on the future, Alpine has managed to score only thirteen points in the eighteen races held so far. This more than negative performance has prompted the brand’s leadership to make important decisions aimed at bringing the team back to the top.
After the departure of Bruno Famin and the return of Flavio Briatore, the latest significant development at Alpine concerns the power units. Starting from 2026, the French team will no longer use engines produced by Renault and will become a customer team of Mercedes. This bold decision is seen as essential to turn around several seasons marked by difficulties and disappointments.
A French Ferrari
This seems to be Luca De Meo’s objective. The CEO of the Renault group addressed various topics in a lengthy interview with L’Equipe, including the future project for Alpine. “When we start winning again, no one will care whether the engine is produced by Mercedes or Renault. My goal is to have a French team, like a French Ferrari.”
“I have two French drivers in the car, but they crashed into each other,” Luca De Meo stated. “If you look at the A524, you’ll notice that there isn’t even one French sponsor. I’ve knocked on many doors without receiving anything. We have Mobilize Financial Services and E-Tech, but they are our companies, so they don’t count.” – he pointed out – “We are self-funding our team; that is the truth. I would like to realize the project of a ‘patriotic’ team, just as I did with Fiat in Italy or with Seat and Cupra in Spain, but I can’t force things,” – the Renault chief executive officer concluded.
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