Struggling F1 team Alpine will pull the plug on Renault as its engine provider

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Alpine driver Esteban Ocon of France steers his car during the third practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

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Alpine driver Esteban Ocon of France steers his car during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

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Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of France gets a pit service during the Formula One Italian Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack, in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. ({byline}/Pool Photo via AP)

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Alpine driver Esteban Ocon of France walks through pits during the qualifying session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Mohd Rasfan/Pool Photo via AP)

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Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of France steers his car during the third practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

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Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of France walks through pits during the qualifying session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Mohd Rasfan/Pool Photo via AP)

By JEROME PUGMIRE

Struggling Formula 1 team Alpine confirmed it will no longer use its homemade Renault engines in 2026.

Alpine said in a statement on Monday that its F1 engine factory at Viry-Chatillon on the outskirts of Paris would become an engineering center called Hypertech Alpine, starting from the end of this year.

It will be dedicated to the future Supercar Alpine as well as research into batteries and electric motors, and continue its endurance car and rally programs.

Renault will therefore stop working on F1 engines for 2026, when new regulations come into place.

However, F1 engines will continue to be supplied to Alpine for 2025 and the new center will keep an eye on developments in F1 through its monitoring cell.

“F1 activities at Viry, excluding the development of a new engine, will continue until the end of the 2025 season,” the statement said. “(The monitoring cell) aims to maintain the knowledge and skill of experts in this sporting discipline, and to remain at the forefront of innovation for Hypertech Alpine’s various projects.”

In July, Alpine’s outgoing team principal Bruno Famin said Alpine was considering becoming an engine buyer. According to reports, Mercedes will supply Alpine’s engines from 2026 onward.

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Renault was once a prestigious name in F1 and used to sell engines to other teams, including the Red Bull title winners when Sebastian Vettel clinched four straight titles from 2010-13. Fernando Alonso’s two F1 titles in 2005 and 2006 were with Renault.

But the Alpine team has been struggling and lacks speed and reliability.

Alpine Renault sits ninth out of 10 teams in the constructors’ championship and its French drivers, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, have failed to score any points in the past three races.

They have also been hit by personnel changes.

In March, two design executives quit after a disappointing performance in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Then, in June, the team announced that former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore was returning to F1 in an advisory role for Alpine.

Alpine then named Oliver Oakes as its new team principal.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing