Alpine, a French car brand in Formula 1, is thinking about changing its engines. They might stop using Renault engines and start using engines from other companies in 2026. This change is because Alpine wants to do better in races. Their current engines have not been performing well.

This season has been tough for Alpine, making them rethink their whole F1 project. Renault engines have a proud history, but lately, they haven’t been as good as other engines. This situation has made Alpine question if they should keep making their own engines.

The leaders at Renault and Alpine are looking at all options to make the team more competitive. One idea is to stop making their own engines and instead buy engines from other companies.

One option for Alpine is to get engines from Red Bull, which will start making its own engines in 2026. But, this might be difficult because Red Bull already has a lot going on. Another option is Mercedes, which might have engines available after Aston Martin switches to Honda. Mercedes has a good record of providing engines to other teams without issues.

If these options don’t work, F1 rules will make sure Alpine still gets engines. Honda, which doesn’t plan to supply another team in 2026, might be asked to help.

Switching to engines from other companies could help Alpine perform better in races. It would also save money because making engines is very expensive. Not making their own engines might also make it easier to sell or change the team in the future.

Renault has been in F1 since the 1970s and is known for its great engines and many championships. But, the newer hybrid engines have been hard for Renault, making it tough to keep up.

Since 2014, Renault engines have not been as good as others. Despite trying to improve, they haven’t caught up, which is why Alpine is considering a change.

Renault’s current engines have had problems with reliability and performance. This is a big reason why Alpine is thinking about buying engines from other companies. Engines from Mercedes and Honda are known to be better and more reliable.

Making top F1 engines costs a lot of money. By buying engines, Alpine could save a lot and spend more on other important things like car design and driver performance.

Buying engines could also give Alpine more flexibility to adapt to changes in F1 rules. However, they would depend on the engine supplier’s performance, which could be risky. If the supplier’s engines don’t work well, Alpine could fall behind other teams with their own engines.

Bruno Famin, Alpine’s team principal, is leading the search for the best engine options. He is talking with other engine makers to find the best deal for Alpine. Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, has said that supplying more teams could be too much for them, showing how complicated this deal might be.

Renault CEO Luca de Meo has promised to keep supporting Alpine in F1 and said selling the team is not an option. This shows how important F1 is to Renault.

Looking at customer teams and works teams can show what’s good and bad about Alpine’s potential change. Some customer teams have done very well in F1, showing this can work. The current F1 engines are very advanced, combining traditional engines with energy recovery systems. New engine rules in 2026 might bring new technology and improvements.

Alpine’s possible switch to buying engines in 2026 is a big strategic change to improve performance and save money. There will be challenges, but the benefits could be significant. Fans and stakeholders should watch closely as Alpine makes these important decisions in its F1 journey.