The Anglo-French team might not be a full-fledged manufacturer starting in 2026. After years of producing most components in-house, including the power unit, Alpine could become a customer team under the new regulatory cycle. Hoping to climb back up the rankings, Bruno Famin, the current team principal of Alpine F1 Team, is considering switching to a new power unit. Ferrari and Mercedes are the most talked-about contenders for supplying Alpine with the 2026 engines.
During the sequence of races between Spain, Austria, and Silverstone, rumors about who would supply Alpine’s power units intensified. Just before the Barcelona race, speculation arose that Ferrari might be Alpine’s engine supplier starting in 2026. This rumor was further confirmed in Austria, where F1inGenerale caught Enrico Gualtieri (Ferrari) and Eric Meignan (Alpine), both Power Unit Technical Directors, in conversation. The topics of their discussion are unknown, but their manner and chosen location suggested something sensitive.
On the other hand, Mercedes appears to be the second candidate to supply Alpine with the 2026 power units. Regarding the idea of providing 2026 power units to Alpine, team principal Toto Wolff expressed openness but noted that the current situation is very “complicated.”
Alpine must make a decision
“It’s a complicated situation because we like the idea of replacing Aston Martin with another team due to the pure learning experience,” Toto Wolff responded to the media after the Silverstone GP when asked about the 2026 power unit supply. I think our organization is set up in such a way that the more power units [we supply], the better in terms of accelerating some developments or reliability. So that’s the point. Discussions have not gone beyond exchanging opinions and exploratory talks.” – the Mercedes boss added.
Regarding the complicated situation, Toto Wolff provided his perspective, saying, “Alpine must decide whether to continue its Formula 1 engine program.”
This statement underscores the need to understand the team’s future before developing a strategy. “Only once they make this strategic decision will we delve into our agreements, but we are open, and that’s what we’ve told them.” When asked if he expected a decision before the imminent summer break, Toto Wolff pointed out: “No, it is too complicated and impactful a decision for Alpine.”
James Vowles also weighed in on Alpine’s possible entry. “From our perspective, we have been working alongside HPP to fine-tune the right concept for ’26 for many, many months. So, whatever they do, they will be 6-12 months behind the other three teams. This is quite penalizing in the grand scheme of things.”
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