Alpine’s F1 team is about to change. Renault’s Alpine performance and sports car division announced Hypertech Alpine, an engineering center that develops tech innovations and ultra-high-performance cars. Alpine will cease developing new engines for F1 race cars but reassign all affected personnel to new positions within Alpine Hypertech. The bottom line is that Alpine will no longer be an F1 engine supplier.
Why Alpine is dropping out as an F1 engine supplier
Alpine did not explain why the company decided to cease F1 engine development. The decision may have been influenced by the new engine technical regulations that will change many aspects of F1 race cars beginning in 2026, including burning biofuel instead of petroleum fuels and increasing the electrical power contribution to the current F1 powertrain specification.
The Alpine Renault F1 team is in ninth place in Constructors’ Championship points at this writing. Still, this season’s race record isn’t as likely to be the cause of change as the company’s focus shifts to specific innovations rather than devoting vast resources to F1 race cars.
Alpine did bow to the importance of F1 by creating an F1 monitoring unit, which was addressed in the Hypertech Alpine announcement thusly:
Following the consultation process and dialogue with the employee representatives at Viry-Châtillon, Alpine has decided to establish an F1 monitoring unit. This unit will aim to maintain employees’ knowledge and skills in this sport and remain at the forefront of innovation for Hypertech Alpine’s various projects.
That inclusion in the new unit’s project list suggests employees don’t want to lose their F1 cred. It also hints that, like the Phoenix, Renault or Alpine may someday return to F1 motor development. Note that the announcement did not address what will happen with the F1 team.
What the Hypertech Alpine will do
In addition to the F1 monitoring unit, Hypertech Alpine will focus on Alpine’s next supercar, battery technology development, electric motor technology, and the Alpine motorsport program other than F1, which includes Formula E and World Endurance Championship (WEC) customer racing.
