Rumors
After Red Bull rejection: 'Alpine are in talks with this team for engines'
- Ludo van Denderen
After knocking on Red Bull's door (in vain) for the Red Bull Powertrains, Alpine are said to be pursuing a deal with Mercedes to supply power units from the 2026 season onwards. Flavio Briatore, Renault's former team boss, is reportedly already in negotiations with the German manufacturer on the matter. At least that is what F1 Insider reports.
Last week it was revealed that Alpine are considering quitting their own Renault power units for the Formula 1 team and becoming a customer team. Talks had already begun with Red Bull - who are starting in '26 with their own designed and built Red Bull Powertrains - to become a customer of their engines. But the Austrians are not keen on supplying a third team besides Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB.
Alpine now joining Mercedes?
Alpine are now said to have tried Mercedes. That team informed GPblog that they will not comment on the subject because it is entirely up to Alpine. It is expressly stated that no conclusions should be drawn from this comment and it's simply a subject that must be discussed with the French. Alpine has previously stated in various media that they will not respond to rumours.
Mercedes will have two customer teams from 2026, namely McLaren and Williams. Currently, they have three, as Aston Martin also buys power units from the Germans. Earlier, Toto Wolff hinted that a total of three teams is a fine number to facilitate. Whether Mercedes is open to still working with a fourth team is unknown.