As Alpine continues to struggle on circuit, the team is going through crisis after crisis off it. As the Viry factory will cease operations as an F1 engine manufacturer at the end of 2025, as well as the Team Principal position changing hands three times in as many years, Renault’s CEO Luca De Meo is re-evaluating his entire operation.
They started out making F1 engines in 1977, and that has continued through to the present day, winning championships under their own name, and with Williams and Red Bull Racing.
First, when it comes to the removal of the Renault engine, and looking like becoming a Mercedes customer, De Meo was very frank: times have changed in Formula One.
“The fans, except for the really passionate ones, I’ll admit, and the sponsors come for the team, not the engine. The sponsors sign with McLaren, not with Mercedes under the hood.
“F1’s watchers have changed. It’s gotten bigger with young people, and women. This new public has another view on this sport. They follow a driver, a colour, a brand. Not an engine.
“Alpine, especially due to our place in the championship (9th in the Constructors’ at present with just 13 points this season) loses bonus money.
“Sponsors are rare. We’re grasping for air. My shareholders know how to count. Alpine needs to make money.”
de Meo says he will not stand in the way of those wanting to remain in F1. He conceded Fred Vasseur had been in contact to try and poach some of the Viry-based staff away to help the Scuderia, and they will not face gardening leave.
Viry will remain open as they focus on other projects.
“Viry will transform. There will be a technological change in F1 to think about the next engine cycle 2030. And other projects surrounding a supercar and new technologies. Without losing jobs, that’s guaranteed.
“Now, there are those that are happy to make an F1 engine, and they won’t have a problem with switching projects.
“Fred Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal, called us to ask us if he could take people from us and avoiding a ‘garden leave’, a purgatory, before working for them. Okay. That’s life. We won’t imprison our guys.”
Regarding the 2026 engine and whether he felt a lack of confidence if they made their own, the Italian explained how difficult it is for them financially, and in terms of staff numbers and facilities compared to Mercedes.
“These new regulations, it’s a sort of Frankenstein, a compromise of the demandes from each constructor. The costs of engine making are exponential.
“It will be difficult to manage, even for drivers. These guys will steer the ship. Charging the batteries etc. The engine will look like a gas factory.
“And let’s be clear, when you visit, and we have, a unit like HPP, the Mercedes engine factory, there are 900 people that work there. We’re 340 in Viry. They have testing areas that we don’t have.
“The transition to the hybrid area needed strong investments that were underestimated at the time. We’re running structure-wise with 3 cylinders when others have 8.
“When I arrived 4 years ago, the group wanted to end the F1 project. It’s still here, it’s because I saved the thing.
“But we don’t have the structure to be at the head of battery chemistry development, of logistical management, of energy recouperation… it’s not just putting an engine on the stand and saying ‘hey boss, we got it to 415kw’!”
de Meo then admitted that Alpine is making a competitive decision to potentially buy from Mercedes, as they are working very closely at Brixworth and Brackley — 45 minutes separates them. Alpine has had bases in the UK and France, with two very different cultures according to the Italian.
“Morality, renting an engine from Mercedes, it’s cheaper and better. It’s 20 million less per year. We owed it to ourselves to make that decision.
“And then, all the other teams have their engine and chassis departments close to one another. We are a team on two ‘continents’, with 2 different cultures.
“And in Enstone, they are very independent, used to working for other teams. I should have regrouped it all, but it would’ve been in England… tough, isn’t it?”
That being said, de Meo says they have no intention of selling the team to someone like an Andretti or any other interested parties, as they already have their foot in the door.
F1 remains a key part of their overall project, de Meo adds.
“It is however legitimate to question the longevity of the project, once the the engine division has been cut.
“I received calls every 2 weeks from financiers and eccentric people who want to enter F1. They know that after 2026 it’s going to be much more expensive.
“And if someone gave you a billion today to take the team they could sell it for double that 2 years later. There are a lot of speculators here. I’ve said no 50 times. A team, it’s worth around 3 and 5 billion. I’m not going to sell it, I’m not stupid.
“Being in F1 is essential for the Alpine brand. We are in the closed door club. It gives credibility to the brand for car fans. We don’t need that money.”
“Even if tomorrow the team is valued at 3 to 5 billion? No, because that hurts the financial value of the group.
“When I was presented the F1 activities, it was one cost line in the marketing budget. I’ve already produced 1 billion of value. Not bad isn’t it? It also helps value Renault’s stock.
“So no question we are not going to sell the Family Jewels.”
de Meo was pushed on whether the La Marseillaise has any meaning to the team now with the squad based at Enstone in the UK, and likely having a Mercedes engine in the back of it come 2026.
He explained that despite his best efforts to make the team a proper French one, they never got support from companies in France to help with the financial and commercial side of things.
“When we win everyone will be behind us.
“I wanted to make a French team, the French Ferrari. I put two French drivers in the seats. They came one after the other.
“Let me show you a an overview of the A524 and you will see no French sponsors. Not one! I’ve knocked on many doors in vain.
“And yes, Mobilize Financial Services the E-Tech engines is ours and that is us as well. So we are paying to support our own team. That’s the story.
“So I want to drive all these projects with a patriotic Pride like I did with Fiat in Italy and with seat and Cupra in Spain but I can’t force it.”
