Alpine became a new name on the Formula 1 grid in 2021 when Renault rebranded its works entry in the pinnacle of motorsport to promote its alternative sports car brand.
Groupe Renault decided to rename its F1 team from Renault as it had revived Alpine with a new version of the A110 in 2018. Alpine was once a force in the world of Rally and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans during the 1960s and 1970s. But Alpine was hardly known outside France.
Motorsport was the open goal for Renault to market Alpine, which it took over back in 1973. Alpine teams now race in Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship, making a top-class Le Mans return in the Hypercar class in 2024 with Mick Schumacher in their line-up.
Alpine F1 Team name
Groupe Renault announced in September 2020 that it was renaming the Renault F1 Team as the Alpine F1 Team in the 2021 season to help promote the French sports car brand globally.
BWT also signed a strategic, long-term partnership with Alpine in February 2022 which gives it title sponsorship. The Austrian water treatment system company also has its pink logos on the team’s F1 cars, and even takes over the full livery for a set number of races each season.
Alpine F1 Team founding year
Groupe Renault, technically, founded the Alpine F1 Team in 2021 when the team adopted a new name. But the Formula 1 team from which they actually originated from dates back to 1981 having changed through many hands, including being Renault twice, across the years.
Alpine F1 Team current team principal
Alpine appointed Bruno Famin as their team principal after sacking Otmar Szafnauer at the 2023 Belgian GP. He first joined before the 2022 term as the executive director of Renault’s F1 engine division. He also took over as vice president of Alpine Motorsports in July 2023.
Alpine F1 Team current drivers
Alpine currently employ Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly as their two full-time race drivers in an all-French Formula 1 line-up. Renault signed Ocon for the 2020 season after one term as Mercedes’ reserve driver. While Gasly left AlphaTauri to join Alpine before the 2023 season.
What F1 engine do Alpine use?
While Groupe Renault rebranded its F1 team as Alpine from the 2021 season, they still use Renault-branded engines. Alpine are the only team to use the Renault E-Tech RE24 1.6 litre V6 turbo-hybrid power unit in 2024. Renault engines have powered rival teams since 1983.
Team lineage
Alpine can trace the Formula 1 team’s lineage right back to 1981 when Toleman Motorsport first entered the pinnacle of racing. The Toleman squad existed until 1985; before it became Benetton to 2001, Renault to 2010, Lotus Renault in 2011, Lotus to 2015 and Renault, again.
Edward Toleman founded the company after his family’s name in 1926. But it was not before the 1970s when his grandchildren, Ted and Bob, took over that Toleman began competing in motorsport. Toleman, eventually, entered F1 in 1981 and entered 70 Grand Prix up to 1985.
Toleman made their Formula 1 debut in the 1981 San Marino GP at Imola, now the home of the Emilia Romagna GP. But the team never won a race before leaving F1 following the 1985 Australian GP. Toleman’s best finish was second in the 1984 Monaco GP with Ayrton Senna.
Success followed after the Benetton family purchased Toleman, however. The team entered 260 Grand Prix after debuting in the 1986 Brazilian GP and bowed out at the 2001 Japanese GP. Benetton also won 27 races, plus two drivers’ championships with Michael Schumacher.
Renault then returned to F1 as a constructor in 2002 after buying Benetton in 2000 but did not change the team’s name for two years. The French automotive giant had not had an F1 team since 1985. So, the Renault-Nissan Alliance sealed a $120m (£94m) deal for Benetton.
The original Renault F1 Team between 1977 and 1985 operated in the Viry-Chatillon factory that builds Alpine’s power unit. Renault also won 15 of their 123 Grand Prix entries from the 1977 British GP to the 1985 Australian GP. But Renault’s first titles did not follow until 2005.
Returning to the pinnacle of motorsport by buying Benetton, ultimately, paved the route for Renault’s first drivers’ and constructors’ titles in 2005. They also went back-to-back in 2006 with Fernando Alonso sealing the Spaniard’s two championships beside Giancarlo Fisichella.
Changes in Formula 1’s technical regulations saw Renault struggle to replicate their previous successes. The 2008 Singapore GP even saw their No2 driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, deliberately crash to help Alonso win, leading the FIA to give Renault a two-year suspended ban from F1.
Renault also started to scale back their efforts by selling off parts of the team in 2009 before offloading their remaining shares in 2010. It meant two teams competed in F1 with Lotus in their name in 2011 as Team Lotus owned the historic rights to the former Lotus team name.
Lotus Renault ultimately dropped the Renault part of their name in 2012 through until 2015. But Renault then returned to F1 as a constructor in 2016 after Grigny (UK) Ltd – a subsidiary of the French manufacturer – bought Lotus for £1 after they made losses of £57m for 2015.
Alpine F1 Team drivers’ championships
Alpine are so far yet to win a drivers’ championship since Renault changed the team’s name to promote its other sports car brand in 2021. But the Enstone outfit secured the 1994 and 1995 titles with Schumacher under Benetton plus in 2005 and 2006 with Alonso as Renault.
Alpine F1 Team constructors’ championships
Alpine are yet to win a Formula 1 constructors’ championship since Renault rebranded the team in 2021. But the team from Enstone under their previous names have secured multiple titles. Benetton won the 1995 title, while Renault secured the crown in 2005 and also 2006.
Alpine F1 Team factory base
Alpine operate out of the Enstone factory which Benetton first opened ahead of the 1992 F1 season. Although their factory has undergone a number of renovations over the years as the team also passed through many hands. Renault also have a second factory in Viry-Chatillon.
Their Enstone factory is the heart of Alpine’s Formula 1 entry, with the Viry facility the home of Renault’s engine production line. All of the design and production of Renault’s power unit takes place in France. All chassis, R&D, gearbox and assembly work is conducted in England.
Enstone covers more than 25 departments from aerodynamics to the final build of their race cars. It also contains their Ops team, which provides support on race weekends for the team members at the track. Alpine also run their driver development programme out of Enstone.
Factory address
Alpine F1 Team: Whiteways Technical Centre, Enstone, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, OX7 4EE
Alpine F1 Team contact details
Website: alpine-cars.co.uk/formula-1.html
All F1 enquiries: requests@alpinef1.com
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