Alpine strike customer deal with Mercedes from F1 2026 and beyond

After months of speculation following the decision to scrap their 2026 engine project, Alpine have confirmed a multi-year deal with Mercedes.

Last month, Alpine confirmed they would abandon their works engine programme, scrapping the 2026 engine, which would mean the team would become a customer outfit.

Alpine will use Mercedes power from 2026 onwards

It was speculated at the time that Mercedes were their preferred engine partner and that’s now been made official.

Alpine said in a brief statement: “The multi-year agreement will see Mercedes-Benz supply BWT Alpine Formula One team with power units for the duration of the new regulation era, from 2026 until at least 2030.

“Alongside the power unit, BWT Alpine Formula One team will also be supplied with Mercedes gearboxes from the 2026 season.”

Although Alpine will use Mercedes’ gearboxes in the first year of the deal, it is being reported the French team wants to bring production in-house again from 2027.

Alpine will continue to manufacturer their own power units through to the end of 2025 before switching to Mercedes power.

That coincides with the introduction of sweeping new power unit rules, Formula 1 moving onto a 50/50 split between electrical and engine power. The engines will be fueled by sustainable fuels.

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Alpine’s decision to swap from a works to a customer team is just the latest big decision taken by the Enstone outfit who appointed Flavio Briatore earlier this year as an executive advisor while Oli Oaks took up the role of team principal.

Aside from dropping the engine programme, Alpine also restructured at Enstone, saying farewell to 300 staff members as they slimmed down operations.

“This year we’ve done some spring cleaning,” Briatore confirmed to Sky Italia.

“In fact, we took a step forward on the 2024 car to concentrate on the 2025 single-seater. Unlike what others do, being forced to take a step back and then move forward, we’re moving straight forward.

“Cleaning up in the sense that we need to get back to people working for a race team and not a company. We are putting things back the way they should be.

“Alpine UK is completely independent of everything else. We’ve gone back to the Renault days – the engineers are F1 engineers, everything is focused on the team.

“Those who were going to leave have left. When we arrived, there were around 1,150 people, now there are 850.”

There could be yet one more head on the chopping block with reports claiming Alpine could drop new signing Jack Doohan even before the start of his F1 career in favour of bringing in Williams’ rookie sensation Franco Colapinto. Briatore, it’s being said, is even open to a loan deal for the Argentinean.

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