by VALERIO BARRETTA
Alpine, the power unit is a problem
Although in various “engine” circuits the Alpine brought home important points (for example Las Vegas) it certainly cannot be said that the Renault power unit was a strong point of the A523.
During the season the French team even asked the FIA for help in balancing what it believed was an obvious deficit impossible to fill in an era of power unit freeze; however, the promises were not followed by facts, as the FIA found that the gap was 15 hp, and not 30 as had been feared in an initial analysis.
Szafnauer's words
However, this is an important gap, which according to former team principal Otmar Szafnauer will not allow Alpine to compete until new engines arrive starting in 2026: “The FIA has all the data and I believe it was my last Formula 1 Commission meeting that put the issue on the agenda. There was a gentlemen's agreement according to which if the performance of an engine was different by a certain percentage, we would begin to evaluate what to do to bring everyone into line. The FIA itself underlined how Renault was distant. There was a meeting where I argued hard on behalf of Renault to get the other engine manufacturers to do exactly what they promised when the engine freeze was introduced. But in Formula 1 a gentlemen's agreement is only worth it sometimes“.
Objective 2026
“I think this discrepancy will probably remain until 2026, so for another two years“, continued the American. “The problem is this freezing, you can't improve the power unit except to solve reliability problems. To be at the front, you need a chassis far superior to the competition, and that's impossible“. For Szafnauer, however, Alpine is a closed chapter. It might not be the case for Renault, especially if he were hired as Andretti's team principal, in the case of an entry into Formula 1 after discussions with FOM. If the Americans managed to enter the Circus they would find themselves exposed until the entry of General Motors (officially expected in 2028) and at that point they could rename an external power unit, re-establishing relations with Renault.
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