F1
Mercedes Open to Supplying Alpine with F1 Engines by 2026: Toto Wolff’s Strategic Vision for Power Unit Partnerships
Toto Wolff is ‘open’ to Alpine F1 engine partnership: ‘More power units would be beneficial…’
Toto Wolff comments on rumors that Alpine might join Mercedes as a customer in 2026.
Toto Wolff has indicated that Mercedes is considering the possibility of providing Alpine with Formula 1 engines starting in 2026, in light of rumors that the French team might discontinue their own engine development program.
According to reports, Alpine is contemplating abandoning their own engine development program to purchase engines from another supplier starting in 2026.
Since the F1 engine regulations were introduced in 2014, Alpine, a company owned by Renault, has faced difficulties.
Renault has consistently struggled with their engine, which eventually led to Red Bull switching to Honda as their engine supplier in 2019.
As new engine regulations are set to be introduced in 2026, Renault could believe that Alpine's greatest chance for success lies in operating as a customer team, similar to McLaren.
During the FIA press conference at Silverstone on Friday, Wolff was questioned about the potential of providing engines to Alpine starting in 2026.
"It's quite a complex issue. We appreciate the idea of replacing Aston Martin with a different team due to the significant learning opportunities it presents. As an organization, we believe that having more power units enhances the speed of development and improves reliability," he explained.
"This is the situation as it stands. I believe it has not progressed past the stage of sharing viewpoints or holding preliminary talks. Ultimately, Alpine will have to decide whether they wish to proceed with their Formula 1 engine program or not."
"Once they have made that crucial decision, we will begin discussing our agreements. However, we remain flexible and have communicated this to them."
Presently, Mercedes is set to provide engines for three teams in 2026: their own factory team, McLaren, and Williams.
Aston Martin is presently using engines from Mercedes, but they plan to collaborate with Honda under the upcoming regulations.
Consequently, Mercedes has the opportunity to provide engines to a fourth team such as Alpine.
Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, is entirely in favor of Alpine becoming a customer of Mercedes if it aids in the development of the German company's engine.
"From our perspective, anything beneficial for HPP is equally advantageous for McLaren," he stated. "They've been a fantastic partner to collaborate with. Therefore, if it enhances their power unit offering, we fully support it. Regarding the timing of the decision, the earlier a decision is made, the more time there is for preparations."
"I think they will likely aim to decide before the summer break to allow ample time to understand the power unit and operational methods."
Williams team principal, James Vowles, stated: “I believe Zak and Toto expressed it well. More resources lead to increased knowledge, which is undeniable this season. However, it's fair to say that I am uncertain about McLaren's and Mercedes' standings."
"From our viewpoint, we've been collaborating with HPP for numerous months to perfect the concept for '26. However, regardless of the effort, we will inevitably be six to twelve months behind the other three teams, which is significantly disadvantageous overall."
"It isn't impossible to achieve, but there will be aspects where compromises are necessary. A great deal of effort is needed to perfect the '26 project. Even minor decisions about the layout can have significant consequences."
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