While waiting for Mercedes, Alpine wants to find "the three tenths that we lack"

At Alpine, change is now. Or almost. As expected for many weeks, even months, the French team has made its alliance with Mercedes to become a customer from 2026 until at least 2030.

This therefore marks the end of a historic period for the F1 and French motorsport with the end of the engine program Renault, replaced by the “ establishment of an F1 monitoring unit, to control technical developments in this environment. » Each employee working on the F1 engine will thus be offered a position within Hypertech. Alpine de Viruses-Châtillon.

But before thinking about 2026, its new engine and the new technical regulations, Alpine must wait another year. On the podium in Brazil, the French clan, led by Flavio Briatore, knows that this is only an enchanted interlude, that it will not last, and that it will not happen again any time soon. The Blues are aware that they still have a big gap to make up if they hope to regularly fight for points. A gap due in part to the deficit of the in-house engine, slightly behind the competition, which they want to counterbalance with the design of the chassis and aerodynamic elements next year, among other things.

« In the rain, the influence of engine power is reset, so in 2025 we will have to make up the three tenths we are missing by designing a better car., explains Flavio Briatore, executive advisor ofAlpine in F1, in the columns of the Gazzetta dello Sport.

We don't have to worry because we know that's how it is and we will have to try to do well by designing better aerodynamics and studying the tires. Without feeling sorry for ourselves. » Enstone warned.

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