Renault's F1 Farewell: Engine Program Set to Conclude Post-2025.

Renault has announced it will shut down its Formula 1 engine program after the 2025 season.

Renault's Alpine team will need to source engines from another manufacturer, likely Mercedes, starting in 2026. 

The company’s F1 engine facility in Viry-Chatillon, Paris, will shift focus to developing electric motors and batteries, along with other motorsport projects.

This decision marks the end of nearly 50 years in Formula 1, following Renault's groundbreaking entry in 1977 with the first turbocharged engine. With a few exceptions in 1987-88 and a break from 1998-2000, Renault has consistently supplied F1 engines.

Renault is one of the sport's most successful brands, having secured 10 constructors' titles and nine drivers' championships. 

Notable champions like Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel, and Jacques Villeneuve have raced with Renault engines, contributing to victories with teams such as Williams, Benetton, and Red Bull. 

Additionally, Renault's own team clinched the drivers' and constructors' titles with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.

Renault’s decision to end its F1 engine program follows a decade of mixed results for the Alpine team since hybrid power units were introduced in 2014, alongside a decline in competitiveness.

While Alpine achieved notable success, including a win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and finishing fourth in the world championship in both 2020 and 2022, their performance has waned recently. They fell to sixth place last year and are currently ninth out of ten teams in 2024, with six races left.

A Renault Group statement briefly addressed the program's end, stating that F1 activities at their Viry facility would continue until the end of the 2025 season. Despite recent employee protests and discussions with Renault CEO Luca de Meo, the decision had been anticipated for months.

To support staff, Renault plans to create an "F1 monitoring unit" to preserve knowledge and skills in the sport while shifting focus to new projects. All affected employees will be offered roles in the newly formed Alpine Hypertech.

The Alpine F1 team emphasized that this decision was made at the Group level, assuring that they remain committed to performing well in the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. 

Motorsport engineering at Viry will now concentrate on Alpine’s World Endurance Championship, Formula E, and rally-raid programs for Renault's partner brands.