The last driver to become champion with a Renault engine was Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull in 2013. The announcement comes nine days after Alpine achieved a surprising double podium in Brazil with Esteban Ocon in second place and Pierre Gasly in third, behind the race winner, Max Verstappen of Red Bull. It was a rare success in an otherwise disappointing season for Alpine, which had not seen any of its cars finish higher than ninth place until then. The team, which has had numerous personnel changes in senior positions this year, doubled its points total for the entire season in a single race.
Alpine's Formula 1 team will use Mercedes engines and gearboxes starting in 2026 after the parent company Renault decided to abandon its factory F1 engine program. With the new engine regulations set to come into effect at the end of the next season, Alpine announced on Tuesday that Mercedes will be its power unit supplier "during the duration of the new regulatory era, from 2026 to at least 2030." "The team remains focused on performing as strongly as possible in the 2024 and 2025 seasons," it added. Alpine stated in September that Renault will transform the factory in Viry-Chatillon, on the outskirts of Paris, into an engineering center mainly focused on other projects.
Renault has a successful history as an F1 engine manufacturer dating back to the 1970s when it pioneered turbocharged engines. Fernando Alonso won the drivers’ championship with the official Renault team in 2005 and 2006, and the French company supplied title-winning engines for teams such as Benetton, Williams, and Red Bull. It ranks sixth among 10 teams in the constructors' championship with three races remaining. Alpine still considers using Renault power units in 2025 when Australian Jack Doohan will replace Ocon as Gasly's teammate.
