Renault Workers Decry ‘Treason’ Over Formula 1 Engine Production Shutdown Plans

Workers at the Renault plant in Viry-Châtillon disagree with plans to shut down production of Formula 1 engines, calling them “treason”.

“Renault Group directors plan to stop the 2026 engine production program in Viry-Châtillon, choosing another supplier, possibly Mercedes.

The reason was big savings – instead of $120 million for development, you have to pay $17 million a year for supplies. We do not believe that this justifies the destruction of a luxury facility in Viry-Châtillon, which is a betrayal of this legendary brand, by installing a Mercedes heart in our Alpine-branded Formula 1 car.

We cannot allow the Alpine management and the Renault Group to damage our image, so we ask Mr. de Meo and the board of directors to drop this decision.

The goal was to fire the first Alpine 2026 engine at the end of the first half of 2024, a year and a half after the start of the project. On June 26, 2024, the RE26A engine was launched for the first time at stand number 6 in Viry-Châtillon. Nearly a third of the system’s previously bench-tested performance elements are missing, but early test results are promising.

The RE26A is seen by everyone at Viry-Châtillon as a great success, an engine with great potential that could strengthen the ambitions of the Alpine F1,” the Viry foundation said in a statement.