Flavio Briatore made some enemies within Alpine ownership after cutting 300 staff

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Flavio Briatore turned heads with his decision to move Alpine from an engine manufacturer to a Mercedes customer team, and some within Renault are still unhappy with it now.

The future of the Enstone outfit has been uncertain for some time. A big shift was confirmed in 2024, as Alpine announced they would be shutting down Renault’s factory in Viry-Chatillon and would not supply their own engines from 2026.

Briatore struck an engine deal with Mercedes, with Alpine replacing Aston Martin as a customer team from 2026. This caused huge friction between the team boss and Renault, and it is still felt even now.

Some within Renault are still ‘very unhappy’ with Flavio Briatore moving Alpine to a Mercedes customer team

It is clear that the Mercedes engines are working wonders for the team, as they sit fifth in the standings after five races. Briatore has been full of praise for Franco Colapinto, who has hugely improved his form in recent races.

But despite this clear progression, having finished last in 2025, some Renault staff are still ‘very unhappy’ with the decision to shut down their factory, according to journalist Jon Noble. Briatore’s move ultimately led to 300 staff being cut from Alpine, as per The Mirror.

Noble said via The Race F1 Podcast: “Alpine obviously hit rock bottom last year. Last in the constructors’ championship, didn’t seem to have much of a future, things look very difficult and Flavio has shaken the tree in a way that very few people potentially would.

“To have killed the Renault engine program and said, ‘No, we’re going to become customers, we’re going to go to Mercedes.’ It earned an awful lot of criticism at the time, some within Renault probably still very unhappy that that happened.

“But from Flavio’s perspective, this is about winning in Formula 1; that’s what he’s come back to do, his mission, his only mission is to win in Formula 1.

“So he’s achieved the power unit perspective. Mercedes is the best power unit in Formula 1. He’s got that on board. You need the best sponsors and the best budget. So he’s got that on board.

“And now it’s just a question of chipping away and then improving every other area of the organisation as well. It’s not there yet.

“We can’t imagine that just because you’ve got Gucci on board, you’ve got Mercedes, that suddenly Alpine is going to be fighting for wins next year. That’s not going to happen.

“This is still a two, three-year project. But the steps are being made. The jump from last year to this year is big and it can make another decent step into ‘27.”

READ MORE: Who is Alpine’s F1 executive adviser Flavio Briatore? Everything to know

Could Renault’s old F1 factory be bought amid Alpine takeover rumours?

While Renault’s F1 factory is no longer in use, it could be in the near future, as rumours continue to swirl about Otro Capital’s 24% stake in Alpine, which they are looking to sell.

Chinese manufacturer BYD are interested in Alpine, and they could buy Renault’s factory as part of the deal. They want to join the F1 grid, and it looks like they are trying to do it by taking over an existing team.

Christian Horner continues to be linked with Alpine, while Mercedes are also pushing to complete a deal for the Enstone outfit. At present, it remains to be seen what will become of the factory at Viry-Chatillon.