Renault CEO Sends Message To Engine Staff Amid 2026 Power Unit Closure Concerns

Saajan Jogia | Sep 3, 2024

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

The staff at Renault's Viry Châtillon factory, who are working on Alpine's 2026 power unit, can breathe a sigh of relief for now, as CEO Luca de Meo recently stated that no final decision has been made regarding the closure of the Alpine engine project yet. However, he did confirm that the option of a Mercedes engine powering future Alpine F1 cars is already under consideration.

The confirmation from the CEO follows protests by the 2026 PU staff at Monza during the Italian GP weekend, alongside strikes at the factory to gather local support. Aggrieved employees, who had been dedicated to developing Alpine's 2026 engines for Formula 1's new era, were shocked by parent company Renault's decision to abandon the engine project and transition to a customer team.

The staff remains adamant about continuing Alpine's legacy in Formula 1 as an engine supplier, especially when the 2026 engine displayed results above the set expectations. Considering the noise being made lately, de Meo told fr.motorsport.com that Renault has not concluded anything about the 2026 power unit as it continues to analyze the best possible ways to be more competitive in Formula 1 from 2026. A decision will be made in four or five weeks. He said:

"We have four or five weeks to define the situation at the board.

"We are analyzing how to approach F1 from 2026 in order to be more competitive, and we are evaluating every opportunity. The idea of ​​switching to Mercedes engines is on the table, but I can assure you that there was no choice.

"If we do an exclusively financial analysis of what it costs to produce a 2026 power unit in-house and what could be saved with a customer engine, the difference becomes abysmal.

"Therefore, looking at the numbers, we can only perceive the opportunity that entering the new F1 regulations with a more competitive, but less expensive, project could represent.

"That being said, I would add that the proposal is on the table, but there has been no decision from the board. This is one of the aspects that is under discussion, along with many other important points about how we will approach F1 in the future."

De Meo added that while the deal with Mercedes remains an option from a financial perspective, the board is also analyzing its marketing implications by considering the negative impact the deal could have on the brand and its promotion strategies. He added:

"Then many other factors come into play that will lead to a decision: what does marketing think? What would be the negative repercussions of this choice in the face of a huge financial saving?

"It is the financial framework and it must be cross-referenced with everything else. The ambition is to build a competitive project and so many factors come into play in the choices, which [factors] will have to be evaluated very carefully."

The 57-year-old CEO also addressed rumors about the Alpine F1 team being on sale and revealed how Renault aims to utilize staff for other "innovative projects." He added:

"We are not selling anything.

"In Viry-Châtillon, there are competent and prepared people who work on F1, but not only. We have also launched major innovative projects and not only in motorsport, so we need to keep a little calm so that we can make the best choices."