Alpine, peaceful protest in Monza: “Viry does not want to close without a fight”

Mercedes Power Unit: Decision in a Month

Today Monza will be the scene of a peaceful protest by a hundred employees of the Viry-Chatillon plant in France, where the Renault power units that equip the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are produced. The protest is against the decision that now seems to have been taken by the company’s top management to race starting in 2026 with Mercedes power units.

“Each group will display a banner with a clear and non-aggressive message, advocating the maintenance of a French engine in F1, and all will wear a white t-shirt with the Alpine logo, the message #ViryOnTrack and a black armband. No action will be taken to impede the progress of track operations.” is the statement from the Alpine employees expected on the track in Monza today. Faced with this demonstration, Alpine yesterday evening released the following official note: “We are aware of some activities planned for this weekend by the Viry staff. From their statement we understand that these will be peaceful protests that will have no impact on the team’s activities. The transformation project is still being evaluated and no decision has been made yet by Alpine management. The dialogue, which has been ongoing since the project was presented to Viry employee representatives in July, is important for Alpine’s management and will be continued in the coming weeks”.

Today’s edition of the French sports daily The Team dedicates an in-depth service on the topic signed by Erik Bielderman, below are some extracts: “Viry-Chatillon does not want to die without a fight. It is not yet official, but everyone in the Renault-Alpine family knows that the decision has been made. In 2026, Alpine cars will be powered by a Mercedes engine and the long and glorious saga of the French engine manufacturer with Formula 1 (started in 1977) risks fading into the history books […] In the paddock, there is talk of having already seen CVs from France arriving on the desks of rival engine manufacturers. The deadline is September 30, the date on which Alpine’s transformation plan must be submitted to a consultative vote. […] The employees will split up at the Parabolica and on the pit straight and will express their bitterness and concern, no doubt with banners […] The protesters are hoping that team members present in the paddock will join their protest, also wearing a black armband, which might also be difficult to notice given that the team’s official clothing is dark.”