The blue single-seaters could change engine supplier for 2026, but the French manufacturer would not be a seller…
Alpine F1 team principal Bruno Famin described
“rumors” a potential merger between Alpine and Mercedes, but new executive advisor Flavio Briatore then suggested that all options were being considered to make the team competitive.
The Italian manager is said to have already spoken with Toto Wolff (pictured above) to assess the availability of Mercedes engines freed up by the new agreement between Aston Martin and Honda for 2026.
Briatore in prospecting
Pierre Gasly, who has been extended by the French team for at least the next two years, believes that he is
“It’s important to look at all the options and then make up your own mind about what’s best for performance.”
Briatore must submit his report to Renault CEO Luca de Meo, who will decide based on the opportunities for the future while excluding a resale of the team, as he has repeatedly stressed.
“I trust the management’s decision and have no concerns about the future, assures the French driver.
We would lose our status as a factory team by becoming a customer of another engine manufacturer, but the regulations are written in such a way that there is an established parity between the parties.”
Gasly reassured
“I speak every week with Luca de Meo and it seemed clear to me that the possibility of a sale of the team is excluded,
he assures. He has always been clear about this and remains 100% committed to the Alpine project.”
“Before extending, I looked closely at the plans for 2026 as it was important for my next contract when the new regulations come into force, he develops.
For me, the transfer of the team was never a question because I know how much Renault and Alpine invest in the team.”
“I took the time to get the answers I was looking for because from the beginning I always felt that my heart wanted to continue with Alpine, continues Pierre. It’s for different reasons: it’s a French manufacturer, the factory is less than two kilometers from my city and I have this special connection with the brand.”
“I also feel like I haven’t achieved the goals I set for myself when I first signed two years ago. I feel like it would be a shame to stop there. I’ve always wanted to continue because over two or three months, the team has shown me a lot of things, he concludes. When you look at where we were in Barcelona, compared to where we started in Bahrain, it’s still a big progression and a big step forward that other teams haven’t been able to do.”
