Williams team principal James Vowles has expressed doubts about Alpine F1’s ability to fully benefit from a potential engine partnership with Mercedes.
After the announcement of the abandonment of Renault F1 engines at the end of the 2025 season, it seems almost certain that the Alpine F1 team will run with a Mercedes engine in 2026.
James Vowles spoke about this probable association between Alpine and Mercedes. The Briton who manages Williams F1, a team powered by the Silver Arrows, notably highlighted the complexity of integrating a new power unit into a single-seater.
The former Mercedes team strategist also said that Alpine should first end its downward spiral, before starting “the recovery”.
“I see a question mark with Alpine”James Vowles told Auto Motor und Sport. “Even if they buy engines from Mercedes, they are far behind.”
Read also: Williams claims Mercedes ‘did an exceptional job’ on 2026 F1 engine
Vowles: “We are already in the middle of the 2026 project” with Mercedes
This famous Mercedes engine, which could equip the Alpine in 2026, seems promising according to certain rumors from the paddock. However, Vowles warns Alpine that its Williams team, a Mercedes client, is already well advanced on the engine part of the 2026 project.
“We have been working with Mercedes since 2014 and we are already in the middle of the 2026 project with them,” he reveals.
“You can’t just screw an engine into the back of the car and expect it to work. And Alpine is still on a downward trend.”
“We must first put an end to it before starting the recovery. At Williams we are already past that point.”
“We started the process a year or two ago and we’re already reasonably stable.”
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