Looming Mercedes F1 deal sparks BRUTAL management accusation

Toto Wolff and Flavio Briatore — Photo: © IMAGO

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Looming Mercedes F1 deal sparks BRUTAL management accusation

An F1 team has been accused of 'mismanagement' following a recent decision

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 2 October 2024 17:54

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A Formula 1 team believed to be considering a Mercedes partnership deal have been accused of ‘mismanagement’ in the latest of many issues surrounding the project.

Alpine officially announcemed that they would be shutting down engine operations at Viry-Chatillon, after Renault recently confirmed that they will be cancelling their plans to build an Alpine works engine from 2026 and beyond, with their engine operation at Viry instead transforming into a ‘an engineering centre of excellence’.

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Alpine are now expected to agree on a deal with Mercedes as their power unit supplier, a plan which originally led to unrest from employees.

Viry staff members travelled to the Italian Grand Prix in September to protest the decision to shut down their engine operations, with Alpine team members striking in solidarity.

Alpine will be hoping an engine partnership with Mercedes can improve their performance

Oliver Oakes took over as Alpine team principal halfway through 2024

Why has Alpine's engine programme been axed?

Alpine currently sit ninth in the constructors’ standings, and their poor engine performance has been identified at the heart of their 2024 woes.

According to the CSE, Social and Economic Committee of the Alpine engine subsidiary, the decision was endorsed ‘to reduce the financial risk surrounding F1’.

However, a former Renault Sport employee who worked at Viry-Chatillon for over twenty years, Bruno Mauduit, has accused the team of ‘mismanagement’, despite remaining unsurprised by the decision.

“I expected it 99%. It was decided since August,” Mauduit said to L’EQUIPE.

“It’s a shame and sad, for the whole history of Viry. This decision is not surprising, it is the result of 10 years of mismanagement, satisfaction with poor results and the fact of having only one team.

“And today, we have no argument to continue. We are told that the 2026 engine is great?

“We have to see, we can’t put that forward as an argument to continue. What has been done in recent years is not enough. And everyone is at fault.”

Mercedes FIA Alpine Renault