Alpine axes F1 engines; staff and ex-chief outraged

Alpine’s decision to cease F1 engine production has sparked criticism from former Renault engine boss Denis Chevrier and angered staff, as the team shifts to Mercedes power units to save costs.

The axe fell on Renault F1 engines yesterday in a statement, as the group confirmed that operations at Viry-Châtillon will no longer focus on producing power units for the pinnacle of motorsport.

“Formula 1 activities at Viry, excluding the development of a new engine, will continue until the end of the 2025 season,” the automaker, owner of Alpine, confirmed in a statement.

This decision aims not only to save money but also to provide an immediate boost to the struggling Enstone-based Formula 1 team by switching to the Mercedes F1 engine as a customer.

Strong rumors suggest that Alpine will not only buy the engine from Mercedes but also the gearbox and rear suspension – much like the Aston Martin F1 team currently does.

The staff at Viry, however, are furious, even though they have all been promised jobs in the reorganized Viry operations, dubbed “Hypertech Alpine.”

Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur told L’Equipe that “my inbox is overflowing with CVs from France.”

Denis Chevrier, Renault F1 engine department director from 2002 to 2007, is understandably very saddened.

“Alpine wants to do F1 on the cheap, that’s what they’ve always wanted to do. That’s why they failed to transition to hybrid engines, unlike some of their competitors,” he commented in reaction to the news in the French sports daily.

“They found themselves falling behind, and that marked the start of a period where the Viry engines struggled to shine. It’s the unfortunate demonstration that if you’re unwilling to invest, eventually you can’t live off past successes or momentum, and slowly the ship loses speed. There was a period of success, and the managers wanted to achieve the same results for less, but in an environment as specialized and technologically advanced as this, it’s not possible.”

“I feel a sense of injustice. I believe the engine is the victim of a conspiracy from the chassis team (based in Enstone, England), which hid its shortcomings and inability to design cars as good as others by pointing fingers.”

“And by regularly sowing and nurturing criticism of this engine. It was all the easier since the engine wasn’t powering any other chassis, which is very risky for an engine manufacturer. Meanwhile, they keep playing with their wings… Perhaps this engine isn’t the best on the grid, but the decision made is the exact opposite of what a leader aiming for excellence should take. Especially since, in motorsport, if there’s one element a manufacturer should rely on to communicate and promote its road models, it’s the engine.”