Renault’s de Meo to meet Viry staff to discuss F1 engine programme

Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo has agreed to meet with employees from Alpine’s power unit division in Viry-Châtillon, following growing concerns about the future of the company's Formula 1 engine program.

The French manufacturer is currently evaluating whether to shift away from its in-house F1 engine development and transform Alpine into a customer team for the sport’s upcoming 2026 engine regulations.

This news sparked concerns among employees at the Viry-Châtillon facility who fear that abandoning F1 engine development would have significant consequences not only for the team but also for France’s broader technology sector.

Renault’s initiative – a clear cost-cutting measure worth approximately $90 million in development costs – led to protests not only at Viry but also at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza where a delegation of French workers displayed a banner all weekend urging Renault to ‘Save 50 years of French Formula 1’.

Renault’s next-generation power unit is well underway at Viry in terms of development, with employees claiming that the 2026 unit is showing greater promise than management has acknowledged.

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Through Alpine’s social and economic council (CSE), employees requested a meeting with de Meo to express their concerns, believing that their voices had not been adequately heard by upper management.

De Meo has now accepted their request and is scheduled to meet staff representatives this Friday, September 20.

"The social and economic council (CSE) of Alpine Racing, the engine manufacturer for the French Formula 1 team, has announced that it has arranged a meeting with Luca de Meo, Chairman and CEO of Renault Group, on Friday 20 September 2024 in order to bring to his attention the incomprehension surrounding the end of F1 engine development in France at the Viry-Chatillon site, a unique technology in France," read a statement from the CSE, released on Tuesday.

"The staff representatives thank Mr. de Meo for responding favorably to this request."

An internal deadline has reportedly been set for September 30 to reach a decision on the future direction of the Viry division.

Should Renault opt to abandon its F1 engine programme, it is believed that Alpine would partner with Mercedes as its engine supplier from 2026, a move supported by Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore.

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