F1 News
Alpine aiming to put 'the best engine in the car' after axing programme
Team principal Oliver Oakes has stated that Alpine will reveal their 2026 engine supplier at the end of the year after dropping its own engine. The current works team has decided to sacrifice its own power units in a rebuilding process led by the new boss, Oakes. In the team principal press conference in Austin, the Brit was asked when Alpine's new supplier would be announced, to which he gave this detail.
The former Hitech Grand Prix boss now spearheads the entire operation and reports to Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo. Renault's CEO has been vocal about the lack of success in the F1 programme currently. Getting rid of its own engine would be a solution to improving its F1 status after a disappointing few years of decline, as it's widely assumed that the Renault power unit is around 15 horsepower down on its competitors.
Alpine to provide clarification 'before the end of the year'
"Yeah, I think it's been slightly warm since I arrived," Oakes began when asked about talks behind the scenes. "I think at the end of the day, at group level, we've made it clear that we want to have the best engine in the car, and I think that's a process that's ongoing. We're looking at options, and I think when we have news, we'll let you know."
Oakes was asked when this news would be revealed, to which he told the press: "Before the end of the year. Is that all right?"
The 36-year-old also revealed his expectations for the rest of the season, in what has been a difficult one for Alpine. "I mean, I think at the end of the day, coming in new, it's more just genuinely seeing how everyone performs together. I think the team had a tough start to the season. I think they've really rallied around that to work hard, to bring some performance for these last few races of the year. And I think just very humble, really, just seeing how we can progress between now and the beginning of next year." The Brit concluded.
Alpine will still use its current V6 hybrid engine for the 2025 season before jumping ship in 2026. The regulation change, in simple terms, means that new engines will be 50% internal combustion and 50% electric. Mercedes is rumoured to have developed a powerful engine for 2026, with Audi and Ford (Red Bull's partner) also joining the fray as new manufacturers.
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18 October 2024
