Alpine confirms Mercedes F1 deal

Alpine has confirmed its controversial engine switch from Renault to Mercedes power in the 2026 Formula 1 season.

In October Alpine’s parent company Renault made the call to end its F1 engine program, with 2025 to be its last as a works team and 41st since the French brand arrived in 1977.

It was widely rumoured a Mercedes customer deal was in the works and it is now official.

Alpine will join the likes of McLaren and Williams that will be Mercedes customers in 2026 with Aston Martin switching to Honda.

Within the announcement Alpine also revealed it will also change to Mercedes gearboxes.

“BWT Alpine Formula One Team, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix have entered into Power Unit and Gearbox Agreements from the start of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship,” Alpine’s statement said.

“The multi-year agreement will see Mercedes-Benz supply the BWT Alpine Formula One Team with Power Units for the duration of the new regulation era, from 2026 until at least 2030.

“Alongside the Power Unit, BWT Alpine Formula One Team will also be supplied with Mercedes gearboxes from the 2026 season.

“The team remains focused on performing in the strongest way possible in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.”

It will mark the end of an era for the Enstone squad, which has been running Renault power across its various guises for the past three decades.

The last time it did not have factory support from the famous French brand was 1994 when Ford pushed Benetton and Michael Schumacher to a maiden championship success.

Since then the team has always run Renault engines despite changing names from Lotus to Alpine and Renault when it carried the factory name across two stints from 2002-2011 and 2016-2020.

This means Renault’s time as an engine supplier in F1 will end having been at the pinnacle of motorsport since 1977, having only missed two seasons between 1986-1989.

Over that time Lotus, Ligier, Tyrrell, Williams, Benetton, Red Bull, Caterham, Toro Rosso and McLaren have all run as customers in addition to the factory squads.

All up Renault have scored 169 Grand Prix victories highlighted by championship triumphs in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

The last Renault powered win and pole were Esteban Ocon’s 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix and Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix respectively.

However, the team is on a high after a surprise double podium by Ocon and Pierre Gasly in the slippery Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

As a result, Alpine has rocketed from a lowly ninth to sixth in the constructors championship.

Image: Motorsport Images

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