Alpine, from constructor to customer team: a losing choice to become a winner again. Alpine has announced that it will no longer be supported by Renault engines starting from 2026.

In recent days, Alpine has announced that it will no longer be supported by Renault engines, at least in the Formula 1 project, starting from 2026. This means that a team with an important history in the top class will effectively become a customer. How did this decision come about? And most importantly, who will be the new supplier? Let’s try to answer these questions together.

A complete rebuild
It’s no secret that several changes have been made at Enstone in recent months, with the aim of rebuilding a team in crisis.

Compared to the mid-pack performances of recent years, Alpine has started the 2024 season in a disappointing manner. This led management to appoint a new team principal, Oliver Oakes, and bring back Flavio Briatore as executive consultant. Both have been given a single task: bring the team back to winning. And in this case, the end justifies the means…

Need for results
Since the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era, the Renault engine has been anything but the most powerful (and also unreliable), significantly affecting the team’s results on track. With the arrival of the new regulations in 2026, it is crucial for Alpine to have a competitive power unit if they really want to aim for a return to the podium, as Flavio Briatore has stated.

Evidently, the French manufacturer was unable to provide enough guarantees in this regard; hence the decision to switch from constructor to customer.

“Customer of whom?” you may be wondering. The most popular choice seems to be Mercedes, which, according to rumors from the paddock, has a very interesting, potentially winning engine project.

In short, Alpine has taken a significant step back, something rarely seen in Formula 1 history; but it could prove decisive for the team’s future. A winning future? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: if it happens, “chapeau.”