https://f1i.com/news/515838-famin-explains-why-making-f1-engines-no-longer-makes-sense.html Famin explains why making F1 engines no longer makes sense Departing Alpine team principal Bruno Famin says that F1's financial rules are the reason why Renault is rumoured to be on the brink of pulling out of manufacturing engines for the sport. It was confirmed at Spa that Famin would be leaving his role with the team over the summer break, with Oliver Oakes taking over the role from Zandvoort with Famin stepping back to other roles within the Renault organisation. Famin had previously been in charge of the company's engine project at Viry,. but the power unit had underperformed in recent years leaving the Alpine works team struggling to match its rivals. Now it's also emerged that Alpine is closing in on a deal to use Mercedes customer engines in future, meaning that Renault will no longer be a F1 engine manufacturer. As he prepared to leave his current role, Famin explained to the media why carrying on with its power unit programme no longer made sense to Renault. “It’s a fact that the business model, to call it like that, is a bit weird,” Famin told the official F1 channel last week. "The Concorde Agreement, the system of the prize fund, is benefiting the teams only. "On the other hand the FIA financial and sporting regulations makes it mandatory for the PU manufacturer to sell, at a capped price, power units to teams who would like to have it.” From 2026 the new era of regulations will introduce a cost cap of $130 million which had been designed to make the sport more appealing to new manufacturers like Audi to enter F1. But Famin says that it still make more sense financially to be a customer team like McLaren or Aston Martin rather than one of the manufacturer teams like Mercedes or Ferrari. “When you see the costs in developing a PU compared to buying a PU, there is a huge difference,” he argued. “That huge difference is not compensated by any prize fund because all the prize fund goes to the team. "We are not talking about performance, we are talking about a huge difference in money," he continued. “There is no secret in the difference, because we know - it’s official and it’s public. “The cost cap, the amount of money which is allowed to PU manufacturers and the PU supply price and the price that the PU manufacturer has to sell the PU, it’s also public. "It’s something like €120 million in one hand, 17 in the other hand - you make the calculation. [Each] year, of course," he added. Famin admitted that the current Renault power unit has been down on power since the V6 hybrid turbo regulations were introduced and engine development frozen at the end of 2021, leaving Renault no way of making up the shortfall. “Renault totally missed but now we are 10 to 15 kilowatts down,” he said. “The power unit is on average two-tenths of lap time. On average because it depends on the track, of course.” Famin said that left them scrambling to find an extra second from the car and chassis design, but this had also proved problematic. “We cannot hide behind the power unit," he acknowledged. “There are some points where we have no leverage, like the engine where we know that we are in the frozen period and we cannot improve the hardware. “But the car has different problems,” he conceded. “Lack of traction, lack of downforce, too much drag, not enough power. We had to improve everything. We also had to reduce the weight a bit. We were a bit overweight at the start of the season," he noted. "Then we had to understand the car again and make some small upgrades, or adapt the set-up to make the car really work a bit better.” Despite the latest change of top level team management and the rumours about the end of their engine programme, Renault Group chief executive officer Luca de Meo is insistent that Alpine is not for sale.
Nikita Mazepin linked with shock F1 return amid Alpine merge rumours. - Former Haas driver Nikita Mazepin might have a chance for an unexpected F1 return amid rumors of a potential merger between Alpine and the Hitech Grand Prix junior team. - Renault plans to repurpose its Viry engine base for non-F1 projects, raising questions about the future of the current Alpine squad. - The potential Alpine-Hitech merger could open doors for Mazepin's return to F1, with speculation surrounding this possibility due to the involvement of Kazakh billionaire Vladimir Kim in Hitech and rumors of Mazepin's father, Dmitry, as an investor. - Bruno Famin, former Alpine team principal, announced his departure from F1 duties, paving the way for Oliver Oakes, founder and boss of Hitech GP, to take over as the new team principal after the summer break. - Oakes’ appointment has sparked speculation about a merger between Alpine and Hitech, especially after Hitech's failed bid to enter F1 last year. - The potential sale of Alpine to Hitech could be part of Renault's strategy as the team prepares for a customer engine supply ahead of the 2026 regulation changes. - Mazepin previously raced for Hitech in Formula 3 and F2 before joining Haas in 2021. He parted ways with Haas in early 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. - Mazepin's F1 comeback hopes were bolstered after successfully overturning EU sanctions against him in March 2023. He has since returned to racing in the LMP2 class of the Asian Le Mans Series, starting the 2024 campaign with two wins from three races. - A potential hurdle for Mazepin's return to F1 is his lack of an F1 superlicence, which is required for drivers to compete at the elite level of motorsport. VIA: [PLANET F1: https://www.planetf1.com/.../nikita-mazepin-f1-return...]
Briatore: Alpine driver line-up ‘makes no difference’ for 2025 https://f1i.com/news/516417-briatore-alpine-driver-line-up-makes-no-difference-for-2025.html
Well...considering the huge loss that the exit from the russian market has been for Renault (due to the russian invasion of Ukraine), hiring a russian driver would verge on sheer stupidity; it would makes no sense at all, unless for sado-masochism. I mean, they hired Vitaly Petrov, who wasn't the fastest bunny in the forest, but at the time they had high hopes for the russian market. But nowadays? Ah, well, this is Renault, so... Rgds
The Russian oligarchs are fleeing the Russian economy because it's in shambles due to the sanctions imposed by some economic countries. Putin is going to be in trouble.....soon. Unless, he does something drastic and unfathomable.
'Russia is a gas station with a bunch of nukes' Ron DeSantis (Disclaimer: I am not endorsing anyone or any party for the up-coming US election with this quote...and as a French, I wouldn't qualify; I just like that quote, which is appropriate; and I know Russia, been there a dozen times, and can actually read some of the langage; actually liked the country, before "back to the future"...) Rgds
Well, what Renault has been doing for the last 15 years or so in Formula One has made zero sense in the long term, so... Grüss aus Lothringen...
Did Ferrari, Bugatti, Maserati, or Aston invent the pneumatic valve actuation used universally in F1 engines ?? All by itself places Renault in the iconic list--let alone 1.5L turbos.
Was never ever open. His record wont find another seat. Off to WEC for him. He had a good chance unlike others with more talent.
It could be rebadged HiTech; they want to get to F1 and they have backers. Oh ... wait The owner of Hitech F2 is now team principal at Alpine. They are ready for the transition, it seems.
More from Briatore and the new Alpine plan. Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore insists the team is not for sale and that he has no plans to cut jobs at its UK base. The 74-year-old former Renault team boss, brought in to reverse Alpine's declining fortunes, said: "Something is very clear. Nothing is for sale. "[Renault chief executive officer] Luca de Meo doesn't want to sell the team. Question finito [finished]." Briatore, speaking at the Dutch Grand Prix in his first media briefing since joining Alpine in June, said his "realistic" ambition was for the team to "score some podiums in 2027". https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/c70j9ez2g5ro
And you believe Briatore ? Briatore and de Meo are firefighting a revolt among the staff at Viry-Chatillon at the moment following the announcement. Now, everybody wants to preserve Renault's "racing heritage", the unions included. LOL
