No more three-year, five-year, or hundred-race plans. Renault has a new philosophy for its team. Alpine In Formula 1, CEO François Provost summed it up bluntly to Reuters during the British Grand Prix: stabilize first, then aim high. A pragmatic approach dictated by the turbulent years that preceded the current revival.
A comparison with 2025 is enough to measure the progress made. Last in the manufacturers’ rankings a year ago, Alpine is fighting for fifth place this season with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, who are only one point ahead of the Racing Bulls, with a podium finish for the Frenchman in Monaco.
“Our objective is a minimum of sixth place. That’s the first step. Based on that, we will define our new vision, our new ambition.”, François Provost told ReutersThe tone is deliberately understated. The former purchasing director of Renault took over the reins of the group last July, replacing Luca de Meo, and is not one to promise world titles in the short term.
“When the team is completely lost, when you’re nowhere, you first need to set very short-term priorities and refocus the team on very concrete things. That’s what I call the one-year plan.”he explained to Reuters. And he added, with measured satisfaction: “Things are going well in terms of performance and sponsorship, so I’m reasonably satisfied, but humble. I know there’s a long road ahead.”
Mercedes engines, Gucci, and top-notch stability
Two decisions embody this renewal. The first is technical: Alpine now runs with engines Mercedes Benz after the closure of engine operations Viruses-Châtillon. François Provost makes no secret of it — it’s even according to him “Clearly a trigger for our recovery this year.”
And the prospect of switching to V8 engines in 2031 will not reopen this issue: “I don’t want to disrupt the team with uncertainty. The benchmark is clear today; I’m not developing engines for the Formula 1 »he told Reuters, closing the door on a resurrection of Viry-Châtillon in the immediate future.
The second is commercial: the Gucci brand, owned by the Kering group, will be the title sponsor ofAlpine from 2027 — a partnership that brings the team unprecedented visibility and financial resources in years. Renault remains the majority shareholder.Alpine, but 24% of the capital had been sold in 2023 to a group of investors led by Otro Capital for 200 million euros.
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This stake is now up for sale again, subject to Renault’s approval. Media speculation has mentioned the name of Christian Horner, the former director of Red Bull, as a potential buyer — but François Provost told Reuters that no discussions had taken place at this stage and that there was no urgency.
Operationally, nothing should change either: Flavio Briatore, brought back by Luca de Meo and now de facto head of the team alongside general manager Steve Nielsen, will continue in his role. Five team principals in four years between 2021 and 2024 had precipitated Alpine towards the bottom. Stability at the top is now presented as a non-negotiable condition for reconstruction — before, perhaps, allowing oneself to dream again.