F1 News: Alpine Chief Hints At Engine Discussions With These Two Teams

Alpine's team boss Bruno Famin discusses potential engine supply changes with Mercedes and Ferrari.

Oct 21, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; BWT Alpine F1 driver Esteban Ocon (31) of Team France drives during the Sprint Race of the 2023 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Alpine's team boss, Bruno Famin, who will be stepping down from the role at the end of August, unveiled the team’s considerations for a major shift in their engine supply strategy.

Currently powered by Renault, Alpine will be looking for a new engine supplier for the 2026 season. This possibility has led the French team to explore alternatives, with discussions underway about potentially sourcing their engines from either Mercedes or Ferrari. Famin revealed to the media during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, as quoted by Planet F1:

“There is a bit of potential in developing the integration, but it’s quite theoretical at the end of the story, because now all the PU manufacturers are working very closely, very early in the project with the teams, and all the integration are incredibly optimized.

“If we take a Ferrari or Mercedes engine, I’m quite convinced that all the integration, all the packaging will be already very, very good."

Acknowledging questions that this could be the start of Alpine leaving the sport, Famin confimed that the Formula 1 project is extremely important to the company. He added:

“The Formula 1 project remains a key project for the Alpine brand.

“It’s thanks to Formula 1 that we want to develop the brand awareness globally. That remains, but the project is just reallocating the resources to develop the brand better always based on the pillar of motorsport and mainly Formula 1 to develop the awareness.”

However, the potential shift has raised concerns about the future of the workforce currently dedicated to developing Renault’s power units. Addressing these concerns, Famin reassured that comprehensive plans are in place to ensure job security for existing employees, thereby avoiding redundancies.

“A very important thing in the project which has been presented: every single employee will be offered a job.

“There is no redundancy at all. And we are doing everything to make potentially, because again, it’s still a project, but if it’s confirmed, to make a very difficult moment as less painful as possible.

“But we know it’s never easy, this kind of thing.”