By Carlo Platella
Now it’s official: Renault ceases to be an engine manufacturer, with Alpine purchasing Mercedes engines from 2026. It is news that is not surprising but which nevertheless shocks Formula 1, orphaned of one of the most historic constructors. The questions are also inevitable, wondering if there are some responsibilities of the FIA-Liberty Media management behind the withdrawal of the house of the lozenge. Paradoxically however, the feeling is that the news legitimizes recent policies of the organizers.
The need for change
In recent months, people have been commenting with regret on the arrival of a new regulatory revolution in 2026, which will break the current long-awaited convergence and which is providing a great spectacle on the track. Renault’s farewell, however, shows how necessary it was to think about a new power unit regulation to attract more engine engineers and rethink aerodynamics to accommodate the needs of new engines. In fact, without some technical modifications and without a ceiling on expenses for the development of the power units, the arrivals of Audi and Fordthe return of Honda and expression of interest by General Motors.
The new regulation was not enough to prevent Renault from leaving, but without the three extra engine engineers insured for 2026, Formula 1 would have found itself with only two official manufacturers, Ferrari and Mercedestogether with the independent Red Bull Powertraina project still to be evaluated. We must not forget how in 2020 the Circus found itself facing the farewell of Honda, the Covid economic crisis and a popularity far from that which would have arrived thanks to the success of Drive to Survive and the emotions of 2021. Many doubts remain about the final product for 2026, but they do not erase the awareness of how urgent the need for change was.
Domains to avoid
Another question is about possible responsibilities for the recent farewell. Alpine’s abandonment of the role of engine manufacturer actually appears to be a strategic choice by the Renault group, which is accompanied by plans to relaunch a team that has been complaining of little success for almost twenty years. Competitiveness is the responsibility of the individual participants, but it is also up to the organizer to create an environment that favors the development and spontaneous achievement of convergence, possibly without distorting a Balance of Performance.
On this front, important progress has been made in recent years with the introduction of spending caps, the inverse attribution of hours in the wind tunnel with respect to championship position and development concessions on 2026 power units for engine manufacturers in difficulty. I am instruments that make purists turn up their nosesbut which in the long term become fundamental to avoid other long eras of domination and the consequent farewell of manufacturers in crisis of results.
On a sad day in which Formula 1 loses a piece of history with Renault, there is relief from a well-established structure that prevents others from following suit. Cost reduction and performance convergence they present themselves as the correct guidelines to follow, offering a safety parachute. Another question is whether the same objectives could be pursued with a technical regulation different from the one already written for 2026, which legitimizes a certain skepticism towards single-seaters in the name of active aerodynamics and battery saving.
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