Alpine have signed a historic agreement that will see the Enstone-based team use Mercedes power units and gearboxes from the start of the 2026 campaign.
The French constructor returned to the sport as a Renault works team and the staff at the Viry-Chatillon factory take great pride in their work, but financial constraints and disappointing engine performance have triggered the organisation’s leadership to make a change.
Alpine released a statement confirming the partnership on Tuesday. It read: “BWT Alpine Formula One Team, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix have entered into Power Unit and Gearbox Agreements from the start of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship.
“The multi-year agreement will see Mercedes-Benz supply BWT Alpine Formula One Team with Power Units for the duration of the new regulation era, from 2026 until at least 2030.
“Alongside the Power Unit, BWT Alpine Formula One Team will also be supplied with Mercedes gearboxes from the 2026 season. The team remains focused on performing in the strongest way possible in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.”
This news will come to the dismay of the Viry-Chatillon staff, who have been engaged in a war of words with Renault CEO Luca de Meo throughout 2024 in a bid to save the F1 team’s engine project.
This frustration led to a protest at the Italian Grand Prix, where over 100 members of staff made the journey to Monza. They spent their own money on general admission tickets, unfurling a banner by the track that read: “Viry factory: ‘Save 50 years of French Formula One.’ #ViryOnTrack”
The other unfortunate facet of this news is that it comes just over a week after Alpine’s feel-good story of the season, where Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly sealed a double-podium that lifted the team from P9 to P6 in the Constructors’ Championship standings.
There are major upsides for Alpine though – not least that moving away from their in-house power units will yield major financial savings. Mercedes are expected to ace the 2026 engine regulations, and if they follow through on their promise, their customer teams will be in a strong position relative to the rest of the field.
