Speculation mounts as Mercedes and Ferrari dodge questions about powering Alpine F1 in 2026.
Back at Alpine F1, Flavio Briatore, the new executive advisor, will soon have to make a major strategic decision for the team.
The rumor has been circulating in recent weeks and has not been denied by Luca de Meo, CEO of the Renault Group (which means a lot), nor by Briatore.
Yes or no, will Alpine F1 decide to become a customer team by 2026? As an admission of failure of its engine project, Alpine F1 might indeed decide to forego its in-house engine from 2026, for the next engine regulations.
If the decision was made to abandon Viry in the middle of nowhere, Alpine F1 could knock on Mercedes’ door. The German engine manufacturer has been making optimistic statements for 2026 and seems to be the best choice for a potential customer team.
The question was thus directly posed to Toto Wolff in the Barcelona paddock: would he want to power Alpine in 2026 or not?
“I mainly think that Bruno (Famin), Flavio (Briatore), and Luca (de Meo) are currently evaluating how the package they will have in 2026 will present itself to them at that time.”
“And there is nothing we can say or involve ourselves in. I have seen the rumors. I have seen the comments that have been made about it. But at this stage, Alpine needs to make its decisions. And we are outside of that.”
Famin does not firmly deny the rumors around 2026
Since Toto Wolff does not want to respond, let’s see what Bruno Famin himself has to say.
Will the head of Alpine F1 firmly sweep away the rumors of abandoning the engine project? Moreover, is he included in this strategic choice, or will de Meo and Briatore decide everything on their own?
“From our side, we are really focusing on developing the performance of the car and improving the team. That’s why I’m happy to welcome Flavio onboard. We have a lot to do. You know that our car this year is not at the level we wished for. We have the support of David Sanchez as technical director. He’s been doing great work in Enstone for a few weeks. We hope we can improve our car by the end of the year, work on the 2025 car, and of course, consider the car and engine for the 2026 generation.”
“We are really focusing on this point. When we have something to say, we will do so. But for now, we are really focusing on accelerating and improving the performance improvement plan through our new supports.”
The evasive language is indeed out for Famin… but note that he does not firmly deny these rumors.
Vasseur: Powering an additional team is a big challenge for Ferrari
As for Ferrari, would they also be willing to add Alpine F1 to their list of customer teams?
Frédéric Vasseur has pointed out that powering another team would be a burden for Maranello…
“I don’t have to give my opinion, the answer is clear from Bruno. And we must also consider that for a manufacturer, 2026 is a huge challenge. And it is certain that we want to have a customer team. We have concluded agreements on our side (with Haas F1). And having another customer team is also a big challenge.”
Mercedes and Ferrari Hint at 2026 Alpine F1 Deals. Mercedes and Ferrari Hint at 2026 Alpine F1 Deals
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