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Renault's Formula 1 engine programme will cease ahead of Alpine's expected move to customer Mercedes power from 2026.
Renault has been weighing up whether to shut down its factory F1 engine programme at Viry-Chatillon in France before F1's next engine cycle starts in 2026.
The French manufacturer's plan to end its works programme was met with a fierce response by the Alpine Racing Works Council, which represents Alpine's engine workers and has been putting as much pressure as it can on Renault to change its mind.
Work on the new 2026 Renault power unit is already well under way but Renault has now made the decision for its Alpine F1 team to use customer power for the 2026 rules reset.
An announcement essentially confirming Renault will close its F1 engine programme outlined its plan for a new "high-tech engineering centre", to be called "Hypertech Alpine", at the site of its F1 engine base - effectively what Alpine is selling as the new purpose of Viry.
"As a result of the consultation process with the employee representatives, during which discussions were constructive and an independent assessment was conducted, Alpine's management confirms its project to transform the site into a centre of engineering and high-tech excellence by late 2024," Alpine release said.
"Formula 1 activities at Viry, excluding the development of a new engine, will continue until the end of the 2025 season."
Viry will continue to maintain the current F1 power units that have been frozen in development since 2022 - essentially only adjustable for reliability reasons - until the end of 2025.
Alpine has promised each member of the engine project will be offered a different job within "the transformation project".
It promises that a "dedicated unit, made up of management, human resources and employee representatives, will be implemented to work on the various measures to support the transformation, particularly the training programmes needed to ramp up the new projects".
There was no mention of a Mercedes customer deal which still needs to be formalised. Aston Martin is switching from Mercedes to factory Honda power for 2026, theoretically leaving room for Alpine to join McLaren and Williams among Mercedes' customer ranks.
Renault has consistently lagged behind rival engine manufacturers since the introduction of hybrid engines in 2014, leaving it unable to add to its rich title success in both the V10 and V8 eras.
Alpine had a miserable start to 2024 and while it has recovered some of the ground it lost over winter, it has scored just two points since F1's summer break and is on course to finish ninth in the constructors' championship - which would represent the lowest position 'Team Enstone' has finished in since its first year back in F1 as a works entry in 2016.
The closure of its F1 engine programme will only fuel suggestions that Renault is gearing up to sell its F1 team.
