Renault warned of 'betrayal' over plans to scrap F1 engine project

Renault staff at Viry-Chatillon have made a representation voicing opposition to plans to close down the F1 engine operation, labelling it as a "betrayal."

In a bid to improve the on-track performance of the Alpine team, Renault laid out a plan before F1's summer break whereby it would end the F1 power unit division at Viry and revert the team back to customer status for the all-new 2026 technical regulations. 

Alpine would most likely become a Mercedes customer alongside McLaren and Williams, with a slot opening up as Aston Martin moves to become the Honda works operation.

Team principal Bruno Famin stepped down after the Belgian Grand Prix to focus on preparing Viry, wiht Oliver Oakes his replacement, with a final decision expected on whether to shelve the F1 engine department expected at the end of September. 

The engine programme at Viry has been producing a supply of F1 engines since Renault first entered F1 back in 1977, with Renault looking into the possibility of transferring staff to other Renault projects, and a potential sale has also been suggested. 

However, the Social and Economic Council of Alpine employees in Viry-Chatillon has issued a statement, voicing is displeasure at Renault's planned closure.

"The Group's management plans to stop the 2026 programme at Viry-Chatillon and opt for an engine supply, probably from Mercedes," read the statement, as quoted by Motorsport.com. 

“The reason given is a significant direct saving, trading development costs of $120 million for $17 million in annual supply.

"We do not understand what justifies killing this elite entity that is the Viry-Chatillon site and betraying its legend and its DNA by grafting a Mercedes heart into our F1 Alpine [car].

“The announcement of the end of the development and production of French power units for Formula 1 is incomprehensible.

“We cannot accept that Alpine and the Renault Group damage their images, which is why we ask [Renault chairman] Mr. [Luca] De Meo and his board of directors to renounce this decision."

Promising 2026 results

Renault was one of the manufacturers to signal its intention to race in the 2026 season when the all-new power units will be introduced.

Suppliers are currently testing and developing these new units which will feature the removal of the MGU-H and beefed-up electrical systems. 

In the statement, the Viry workers pointed to some promising early runs on the new generation of engine, with Renault's current offering being under-powered, but with it unable to add performance upgrades due to the engine freeze.

“The target was to start the first Alpine 2026 engine at the end of the first half of 2024, one and a half years after the genesis of the project," said the statement, which pointed to no major reliability concerns and a power output of around 400kw.

“On 26 June 2024, the RE26A, the name given to the first 'factory' version of the AR26, carried out its first start-up on engine bench no. 6 at Viry-Chatillon, thus marking a success in terms of the targeted deadline.

“On this first engine, almost a third of the performance concepts, previously validated on the system bench, are still absent, planned for introduction before the end of 2024. However, the first test results are promising.

"The RE26A is seen by all the Viry-Chatillon teams as a great success, a well-born engine with a clear potential, a year and a half from the first race, to raise the ambitions of Alpine F1 team."

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