What Alpine’s next name is expected to be amid talk Renault could sell the team

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Alpine entered the summer break in a tricky position in the Constructors’ Championship but with more questions about what’s going on off the track at Enstone than on it.

Staff at Alpine’s Enstone factory were told the team is not for sale, but signs are pointing towards the fact they may not be on the grid in their current form for much longer.

The appointment of Flavio Briatore as an advisor to Renault’s CEO suggests that they’re pursuing deals in the paddock.

Briatore has a reputation in Formula 1 for getting things done and if they did enter negotiations with another entity to sell the team, he’s the man you want to get the best deal.

Since his arrival, Alpine have confirmed that Pierre Gasly will be staying with the team for 2025 and beyond, while Esteban Ocon will be heading to Haas.

A second driver hasn’t been announced yet, but a change of team principal has also taken place.

Bruno Famin will take on a role at Viry-Chatillon working on Renault’s engine projects, with Oliver Oakes appointed as his replacement.

Speaking on the AMuS YouTube channel, journalist Michael Schmidt believes that may give an indication of Alpine’s future.

Two entities are reportedly interested in buying Alpine including Andretti who had an application to join the grid rejected at the beginning of the year.

However, among suggestions that Renault’s F1 power unit project will cease production, Schmidt believes that the team may end up eventually being known as Hitech-Mercedes on the grid.

Hitech previously also had an F1 application rejected, but their backers don’t appear to have given up on joining the grid.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Alpine could eventually be known as Hitech-Mercedes on the Formula 1 grid

Talking about why Carlos Sainz chose Williams over Alpine and Audi, Schmidt then explained: “Audi changed their team management, similar to Alpine.

“We don’t really know what’s going to happen next at Alpine, although the future is actually relatively clear.

“Oliver Oakes the team principal from Hitech is from Formula 2 and he will then be the new team boss of Alpine.

“You can assume that at some point it will become a customer team also because they are trying to get Mercedes customer engines.

“Alpine-Mercedes, that’s just not possible. The team is based in England, do you want to give the impression that you’re a French national team?

“This will be called Hitech-Mercedes in the end and I think Sainz also thought about what would happen next because it was clear to him that he would drive for one of these three teams for the next two years because no one had made him an offer.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 team principal Oliver Oakes

Alpine need to clarify power unit supplier sooner rather than later

Although a sale of the team to Hitech isn’t immediately on the cards, Alpine do seem serious about changing their engine supplier as quickly as possible.

An application to improve Alpine’s engines for 2024 was rejected at the start of the campaign which has put them at a minor disadvantage all season.

Mercedes is Alpine’s preferred new power unit supplier and with Aston Martin exclusively using Honda engines from 2026, a deal could be negotiated as one less team will be using them going forward.

There is a lot of expectation around the new Mercedes power unit, with Alex Albon suggesting Williams will gain an advantage from having Mercedes engines.

That could be just what Alpine need after failing to score points at eight of the first 14 race weekends this season.