This Monday, renault has confirmed that he will leave Formula 1 at the end of the 2025 seasonso it will not be present as an engine manufacturer in the face of the new technical regulations that will come into force in the 2026 campaign. The team Alpine You will have to look for a new power unitwhich everything points to being that of Mercedes.
The history of the French brand in the premier category of motorsport is long and turbulent. In 1977, Renault entered the market for the first time. Formula 1presenting the first turbo engine in history in said competition. After several victories for Jabouille, Arnoux and Prost, the ‘rhombus’ left in 1986, although supplied engines to Williams during its golden age.
In 2002, the French multinational took over the Benetton team, and achieved its only two world titles as its own team with the help of Fernando Alonso. Renault was renamed Lotus, and later regained its name, but it always had customer teams under its control, although With the departure of McLaren to Mercedes at the end of 2020, the French were left without complementary teamsand they focused on the then exciting Alpine project.
After four disappointing seasons, the manufacturer has said ‘enough’, and the legendary Viry-Chatillon factory, near Paris, will focus on other cutting-edge projects of the multinational, for the widespread discontent of its workers, who have started the protest movement Viry On Track (Viry on the track).
Alpine must now find a new power unit. For months, It has been rumored with the possibility of replacing Aston Martin (which receives Honda in 2026) as a Mercedes customeralthough nothing is official. On the other hand, the possibility of selling the team must be considered, since there are several projects, mainly Andretti, that seek to enter Formula 1, but the outright refusal of the entire paddock to share its profits with an eleventh team has made this impossible. so far.
