CEO Luca de Meo said Renault had to “rethink” its F1 projectamid losses within the auto division that have plagued them since COVID. This effectively meant that cuts had to be made and an F1 engine project can be a very expensive undertaking, despite hostility from Alpine staff regarding the planned closure.

Romain Grosjean describes the closure of Renault as “sad” having raced with them in 2009, then recently between the 2012 and 2015 seasons under their Lotus identity.

This will be the second time in 10 years that Enstone-based F1 team opts for Mercedes powerfor having used it briefly in 2015 before the Renault takeover.

Discussing the decision on the Pit Talk podcast, journalist Matt Coch believes Ferrari and Audi made a “confusing” decision by not trying to negotiate a deal with Alpine.

Mercedes to gain ‘massive competitive advantage’ with 2026 Alpine deal

One of the most important aspects of the hybrid engine rules introduced for the 2014 season concerned customer teams, with Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault all benefiting from additional data by allowing more teams to use their powertrains on track.

With the 2026 F1 season set to see radical change in powertrainsonly Red Bull and Mercedes are expected to supply other teams while Ferrari, Audi and Honda will only supply their factory teams and Aston Martin respectively.

Coch believes Ferrari and Audi have failed to find a customer team and are ceding the advantage to Mercedes.

“I don’t understand why Ferrari, Audi or any other powertrain manufacturer didn’t fight tooth and nail to get this supply deal with Alpine. We’re approaching 2026 and all the data in the regulatory cycle will be important,” he said. Coch said.

Mercedes has more regulatory data than any other manufacturer, especially Honda which will have one team, Ford will have one team, Ferrari will not have as many data points, Mercedes will have huge competition. advantage and someone pays for the privilege. It’s simply a brilliant deal.

Mercedes, the most successful powertrain supplier in the hybrid era

Since switching to hybrid in 2014, Mercedes has been the most efficient engine supplier among the four major brands.

The team had an early advantage, starting work on its hybrid powertrain as early as 2011, while also having significant political leverage to shape the regulations in its favor.

It took Ferrari three seasons before they were able to catch up and mount a credible challenge for the title, while Honda only started winning with Red Bull in the 2020 season after a difficult start with McLaren in 2015.

Mercedes still holds the record for the most victories, while Renault has only won four Grands Prix as an engine manufacturer since the 2014 season.

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