Renault have confirmed the cancellation of their plans to supply engines for the 2026 Formula 1 season and beyond.
The French manufacturer announced that its engine factory at Viry-Chatillon would be transformed into an “engineering centre of excellence” by the end of 2024.
The decision comes ahead of the introduction of new engine regulations to F1 in 2026, with the Renault Group-owned Alpine team is now expected to agree a deal to have their power units supplied by Mercedes.
This announcement follows months of speculation and unrest at the company, which saw Viry staff members travel to the Italian Grand Prix during the summer to protest then-developing plans to close the factory.
Alpine’s F1 operations are currently split across two factories, the engine-focused division in France and the chassis focused is in the UK.
Alpine will continue running their current Renault engine for the remainder of this season and all of 2025.
The engine’s poor performance has been a factor in the team’s struggles this season, with the team sitting ninth out of 10 in the Constructors’ Championship with just six rounds remaining.
As a result of the consultation process with the employee representatives, during which discussions were constructive and an independent assessment was conducted, Alpine’s management confirms its project to transform the site into a centre of engineering and high-tech excellence by late 2024. Formula 1 activities at Viry, excluding the development of a new engine, will continue until the end of the 2025 season. Each employee affected by this transformation project will be proposed a new position within Alpine Hypertech.
The statement.
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