On Monday, what had been talked about for a long time was confirmed: the Renault group decided to put an end to the engine creation program for the Formula 1 factory team, the history of which began in 1977. However, the current management of the Renault group is closing the project for the development of a new generation power plant, and the engine building department in Viry-Châtillon will concentrate on other tasks.
Luca de Meo, head of the French concern, explained the reasons for this decision in an interview with the newspaper L’Equipe: “The situation is accompanied by very strong emotions, including for me. All this is very sad, but this is the result of observations carried out over many months. But in my work I can’t afford to think like a fan.
I am a manager and run a listed company. I have to rethink the whole project of our participation in Formula 1 to achieve victories. That’s why I’m looking for ways to shorten this path. But recently we have been virtually invisible in the championship for a few more years, and then this project would have had to be abandoned.
The decline has continued for three seasons in a row, so we need to make a real shake-up, also from a financial perspective. Fans, unlike true enthusiasts, and sponsors support the racing team itself, not the engine. The target group of Formula 1 is getting younger, the share of women in Formula 1 is increasing and the subject of engines does not interest them that much.
As for the team, in this situation it has few sponsors left, we are going through a period of crisis, but Alpine F1 needs to make money, because our shareholders count on it. And we take 16th or 17th place in the races – this is funny! At the same time, the cost of creating a new generation power plant is growing exponentially, and this is already difficult to bear.”
De Meo assured that the Viry division will continue to develop engines for the factory Alpine endurance racing team and develop new technologies; At the same time, he promised that there would be no layoffs.
Although not yet officially announced, customer engines from Mercedes are expected to power Alpine cars by 2026.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
