It is a justification operation carried out by Oliver Oakes, the young team principal of Alpine F1.
Oakes was not the one who made the decision to abandon the Renault power unit, to adopt the Mercedes V6 by 2026. It was of course Flavio Briatore and Luca de Meo who were in charge.
But Oakes gave a clear and simple explanation for this decision, which is still not accepted by Viry: it is a question of having “the best engine in the back of the car. »
Clearly, the power unit that Viry was developing was not efficient enough.
“Some of these decisions made this year are not easy”he admitted to the “Beyond the Grid” podcast.
“The subject of Viry is very personal for the team and for many people, because there is a big history behind being a factory team. »
“But times are changing; you see this in all kinds of sports teams: you can't rest on your laurels. »
“And I think we have to be honest: the analysis was done before I arrived, and at a decision-making level it was judged that becoming a client team was in the best interest of the team. »
The ax therefore falls on Renault, after decades of presence in F1 as an engine manufacturer.
“I know this was a difficult decision. I know there's a lot of emotion about it, because we're proud to be a factory team and we have another year together next year. But I also think it was a big statement of intent about our ambition. »
“We are not here to make up the numbers. We want to move forward. I just want the best engine in the back of the car. At the end of the day, for me, we're here to run. »
“I want to be at the front of the grid. I don't want to be in the back. And cruelly, the choice we made was to get the best engine in the back of the car and help the team continue to move up the hierarchy. »
But how could Oakes be convinced that Mercedes will have the best power unit in 2026?
“Nothing is ever certain in life, but I think you have to be pragmatic. I don't know all the details of the decision, as it was made just before my arrival. »
“But if I had to dig deeper, I would probably say that history shows that every time there has been a regulatory change, they [Mercedes] were efficient. »
No more excuses for Enstone!
With a German engine at the rear of the car, Enstone will no longer have any excuse to be efficient: like McLaren F1 (when it formed an alliance with Honda), Enstone will no longer be able to hide behind Viry to explain disappointing performance.
Oakes is eager to see what Alpine F1 can do in these conditions: the moment of truth is approaching.
“The main thing, really, is that it also gives us the ability to compare ourselves. Currently we are not producing a perfect chassis or a perfect engine, and we are very honest and humble about that. »
“So from my point of view it also allows us, I would say, to look in the mirror and work hard on the chassis side, which is a challenge that we should enjoy. »
“From a personal point of view, this is what we come to work for. We want to prove that we are the best, that we are good at what we do, and that we can produce a good racing car. »
