Alpine may buy external power unit | Bruno Famin exits as team principal

Bruno Famin has announced his departure as Alpine’s team principal.

A statement from the team confirmed: “BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Bruno Famin will move away from his current role as Team Principal of the F1 division by the end of August.

“Bruno will be in charge of all other Motorsport activities of the Renault Group at Viry-Chatillon.

“A new Team Principal will be announced in due course.”

Hitech GP founder Oliver Oakes has been linked with the role by Sky Sports.

Famin admitted at the F1 Belgian Grand Prix, where Crash.net are in the paddock, that Alpine are in talks to buy an external power unit from 2026 onwards.

That decision would represent a major change of strategy, from being a manufacturer to a customer team.

Alpine have been strongly linked with taking a Mercedes engine.

Alpine talking to PU manufacturers

“It’s a transformation project," Famin explained at Spa.

“The project which has been presented at the beginning of the week to the staff representative in Viry is to reallocate the resources from one side to another, one side being the development of the Formula 1 power unit, which is already made in Viry, to dedicate those resources and skills to developing new technologies for the new project of the brand.

“One of the consequences of this project, if it is accepted, would be then for the Alpine F1 team to buy a power unit instead of developing its own power unit.

“Then will have more resources to develop the brand, and a different power unit to race for the Formula 1 team.”

Famin added: “We are talking to different PU manufacturers. Nothing is done because it’s a project, we have to follow in France, unions, we have a social process, very strict to follow.

“But for the time being we are talking to some PU manufacturers but we cannot sign anything until this process is over.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said at Silverstone: "That is a complicated situation because we like the thought of replacing Aston Martin with another team. Because of the learning you're doing.

"We are set up as an organisation that the more power units, the better it is, in terms of accelerating some of the developments or the reliability.

"It didn't go beyond the point of exchanging opinions or having exploratory discussions.

"Alpine [must] take a decision. Do they want to continue with their Formula 1 engine programme or not?

"And only when they have taken that strategic decision, we would dive into our agreements. But we're open-minded. That's what we have told them."

Alpine have already been through significant changes.

A year ago they disposed of former team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

Chief executive Laurent Rossi, sporting director Alan Permane and chief technical officer Pat Fry also exited.

More recently they welcomed Flavio Briatore back into F1 as an advisor.