Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has outlined why the Enstone squad opted to forgo its works status in F1 and sign up as a Mercedes power unit customer.
Having been a full works outfit since re-entering F1 under the Renault name in 2016, Alpine has decided to close the doors of its Viry-Châtillon-based engine operation at the end of the year.
After struggling to reach the levels of competitiveness required from its engine, it was judged that re-allocating resources elsewhere - and acquiring a higher-performing power unit - would allow Alpine to move towards the front of F1.
It is a drastic step that means when F1 enters a new regulatory era in 2026, Alpine will embark on its own new reality.
With the likes of Honda, Ferrari and Red Bull PowerTrains also available, Oakes believes it is "quite obvious" why the decision was made to be supplied by the German marque.
When the current, V6 turbo-hybrid era began in 2014, Mercedes immediately stole a march on the opposition, allowing the manufacturer and its customers to enjoy a significant power advantage over the chasing pack.
A resurgent Williams ended that campaign third in the constructors' standings, with Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa earning nine podiums between them. The former even placed higher in the drivers' championship than the reigning champion, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.
More recently, McLaren and Aston Martin have become comfortable top five teams over the past couple of seasons, with the Woking squad winning its first constructors' title since 1998 last term.
It is for those reasons that Alpine is chartering the course it is, with Oakes describing the Mercedes power unit as the "benchmark" he team aspires to reach.
"I think it's quite obvious," the 36-year-old told media including RacingNews365. "I think, first, this era of regulations, they've been the benchmark.
"Also, it's quite clear to see customer teams using that power unit are competitive at the front of the field.
"And I think also for us as a team, it's an obvious chance for us to benchmark ourselves as well."
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