Source: REUTERS/Hannah McKay
[Saba Sports News] Renault CEO Luca de Meo has agreed to meet with employees of Alpine’s power unit division located in Viry-Chatillon, France, to weigh whether the group should abandon its F1 engine development department. Renault Group is considering discontinuing its F1 power unit project and turning Alpine into a customer team to adapt to the new 2026 F1 engine regulations. This move has sparked protests among Alpine employees during the Italian F1 Grand Prix. The staff believes that shutting down the F1 power unit project would have a catastrophic impact on France’s tech industry and claims that Alpine’s 2026 engine project looks promising. In my opinion, Renault Group’s consideration is not sudden but influenced by multiple factors. From a market perspective, the significant increase in operational costs for F1 events in recent years has left smaller teams struggling with budgets; even teams with strong backgrounds have had to reassess their financial plans. Against this backdrop, more teams are halting F1 engine production and opting to purchase engines, reflecting an urgent need for cost control.