A Formula 1 from the Alpine F1 team at the last Brazilian Grand Prix 2024. Photo MaxPPP.
The efforts of the employees of the Viry-Châtillon factory were not enough. While development work on the new Renault Formula 1 engine for the 2026 season had already started months ago and had even started very well according to internal sources, the French group purely and simply buried its engine activity. at the highest echelon of world motorsport.
The Viry-Châtillon plant, currently responsible for the Renault engine powering the two Alpine single-seaters in Formula 1, will be renamed “Hypertech” and will soon take care of Alpine's exceptional sports car projects as well as the technology of cutting-edge batteries of the group, in addition to supervising all other motorsport projects. As for Alpine's Formula 1 cars, they will switch to a Mercedes powertrain from the 2026 season.
Alpine-Mercedes from 2026
A very short official press release has just confirmed this new technical partnership between Alpine F1 and Mercedes: “BWT Alpine Formula One Team, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix have entered into powertrain and gearbox agreements starting with the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season. multi-year agreement, Mercedes-Benz will supply powertrains to BWT Alpine Formula One Team for the duration of the new regulatory era, from 2026 until at least 2030. In addition to the group powertrain, BWT Alpine Formula One Team will also have Mercedes gearboxes from the 2026 season. The team remains determined to deliver the best performances in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.we can read.
Alpine F1 will thus become a simple customer team like McLaren or Williams. Remember that Formula 1 engines will change in 2026 compared to the systems found in the discipline today.
