Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has addressed speculation surrounding Renault's potential withdrawal from the sport as an engine supplier to Alpine, denying a connection between the manufacturer’s decision and the upcoming 2026 power unit regulations.
Renault's looming exit comes as a blow to F1, which aimed to attract more power unit manufacturers with a 2026 regulation platform more weighed towards electrification.
The next-generation units, while maintaining the turbo-hybrid V6 format, will eliminate the MGU-H and achieve a 50/50 power split between internal combustion and electric power.
The shift enticed Audi to join the fray through its acquisition of Sauber, but while the German automotive giant’s arrival potentially offsets Renault’s exit, Domenicali feels the situation does not reflect poorly on F1’s upcoming regulations.
"I think that the real decision [from Renault] was related to another condition, to be very open and very honest with you," the Italian told Motorsport.com.
"It's not related to the wrong regulation. It is related to a different situation that they have to deliver a result in a different timeframe."
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Domenicali emphasized the importance of engine manufacturers to F1, acknowledging the need to listen to their interests when formulating regulations.
“I believe that, at the moment when the regulation was defined, there was the need to make sure that the manufacturers were really interested to be part of the championship,” he added.
“They are a vital element of this equation, because with no engine we cannot run – therefore there was the need to listen.”
The F1 boss went on to acknowledge the compromise nature of the 2026 regulations.
“And it is true that, because we don’t have to be to be shy or to hide behind a tree, that it was a compromise solution because of the different interests of all the different manufacturers, in fact.
“But I would say, the FIA tried to do the best to make sure that we could have something that would be okay for everyone. That is true,” Domenicali concluded.
Alpine is expected to seal an engine supply deal with Mercedes that would kick off in 2026, a potential partnership that many believe was promoted by the Enstone squad’s recently appointed executive advisor Flavio Briatore.
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