When Oliver Oakes took over as Alpine team principal earlier this year, he was given one of the toughest jobs in F1 – restructuring and stabilizing a team in turmoil. With many management changes behind the scenes, Oakes faced the challenge of steering Alpine to success while preparing for the new rules era that would begin in 2026.

Oakes was not even involved in the decision-making process that led to the closure of Alpine’s power unit division and the subsequent deal with Mercedes.

However, Oakes never considered that a major roadblock. He too would have decided to go ahead with Silver Arrows as their new engine suppliers. Given how well McLaren has developed as Mercedes’ customer team over the years, the future looked bright for Oakes as well.

“I don’t know all the details of the decision because it was a little bit before I started, but if I had to pick it, then I would probably turn around and say history shows that every time there’s been a rule change, they’ve been strong” Oakes said Beyond the Grid podcast.

Alpine will cease production of its Renault engines, made in Vichy, from 2026 onwards, after signing a contract with Mercedes for the supply of power units and gearboxes.

Oakes further justified this by explaining that McLaren is one of the teams fighting for the world championship. Following that path was therefore a safe bet made by those in charge before him.

Alpine faced huge backlash for their Mercedes engine decision

As Alpine will no longer use Renault-powered engines, their engine department will be shut down. This means dozens of staff, many of whom have been with the Enstone-based team since its Renault days and have contributed to its past championship successes, will lose their jobs.

Several employees went on strike to show management that they were not satisfied. Ahead of the Italian GP there was a mass protest, with their works council also releasing a statement criticizing Alpine for betraying “its purpose”. The read,

“We don’t understand what justifies killing this elite F1 entity that is the Viry-Châtillon site and betraying its heritage and DNA by implanting a Mercedes heart or something else in our Alpine F1“, the statement read. “The announcement of the end of the development and production of French engines for Formula 1 is incomprehensible. We cannot imagine that Alpine and the Renault Group would betray their purpose and damage their image“.

With Alpine set to continue using Renault engines for the 2025 season before switching to Mercedes in 2026, they are likely to face a strained relationship with those employed at Viry-Châtillon, where the team’s engines are manufactured. Many of these employees feel let down by the decision.