F1 | Alpine hit by possible industrial espionage after break-in at Viry-Châtillon headquarters. Police are investigating a break-in at Alpine’s Formula 1 base in Viry-Châtillon.

An unusual night at Alpine F1’s headquarters in Viry-Châtillon, in the Essonne region, where the team became the victim of an unexpected intrusion that could be linked to industrial espionage. Two individuals reportedly entered the French company’s premises on Monday evening, the historic base of Alpine’s Formula 1 engine department.

According to Le Parisien, the incident took place around 10 p.m. and immediately alarmed the facility’s security team. The building, located along the A6 motorway south of Paris, saw two intruders force open a glass panel in the entrance corridor to access the ground floor, before moving toward the upper level where the offices of Alpine’s management and technical directors are located.

Several doors were forced open, and multiple offices appeared to have been visited, as if the intruders knew their way around the facility. Based on early reports, the individuals stayed inside for only a few minutes — “perhaps five,” according to a source quoted by the French newspaper — before leaving through the same side they had entered.

Was Alpine the target of industrial espionage? What happened

Despite the break-in, a thorough inspection of the premises revealed that nothing was stolen. An internal source from the Formula 1 team stated that “nothing was taken. Everything is fine. There were no employees on-site at that time.”

A source close to the investigation also confirmed that no theft had been reported. However, the mystery remains: why break into the building without stealing anything? The case has been assigned to the Division de la Criminalité Territoriale (DCT). Specialists from the technical and scientific police visited the scene to collect evidence that could help identify those responsible and uncover the real motive behind the intrusion.

With the theft hypothesis now ruled out, investigators are exploring other possible explanations — including that of industrial espionage. At this stage, no theory has been excluded, but there have been no arrests or official developments.

The Viry-Châtillon headquarters is the technological heart of the Alpine project, where the engines for the Formula 1 team are developed. This makes the incident particularly concerning for both the team and the Renault Group. For now, Alpine has chosen to remain discreet, stating only that the safety of its personnel and facilities has never been at risk.

The investigation continues as authorities seek to determine who entered the premises and, above all, what they were looking for. The episode reignites attention on the topic of security and technical secrecy in a Formula 1 world that is increasingly competitive and technologically advanced.