The team has a long history, first competing in Formula One in 1981 as Toleman. In 1986, it was renamed Benetton after being purchased by the Benetton Group, winning the 1995 Constructors' Championship and Drivers' Championships with Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995. By 2000, Renault had purchased the team, rebranding it Renault F1 Team by 2002. Renault won both the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso. In 2011, Lotus Cars became a sponsor, leading to the name Lotus Renault GP, though the team continued to race as Renault. From 2012 to 2015, the team was known as Lotus F1 Team. Renault reacquired the team at the end of 2015, renaming it Renault Sport Formula One Team, and racing as Renault until the end of the 2020 season. The team is often referred to as “Team Enstone” when discussing the organization as a whole. The team operates from a 17,000 m2 facility on a 17-acre site in Enstone, and by May 2023, employed approximately 1,000 personnel there and 350 in Viry-Châtillon.
The involvement of Automobiles Alpine in Formula One dates back to 1968 with the Alpine A350 Grand Prix car, powered by a Gordini V8 engine. Testing with Mauro Bianchi at Circuit Zandvoort ended the project when the engine produced around 300 horsepower (220 kW) compared to the 400 horsepower of Cosworth V8 engines. In 1975, the Alpine A500 prototype was built to test a 1.5 L V6 turbo engine for the Renault factory team, which would debut in 1977.
For 2021, Alpine signed two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, and retained Esteban Ocon from the 2020 Renault team. The Alpine car used Renault engines.
Alpine’s first race ended with Alonso retiring due to overheating caused by debris, and Ocon being hit by Sebastian Vettel. Despite this, Alpine scored points in the following fifteen races, culminating in Ocon’s victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. This marked the first victory for a French driver driving for a French team since Olivier Panis’ triumph at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix driving for Ligier, and the first victory for a French driver driving a French car powered by a French engine since Alain Prost’s triumph at the 1983 Austrian Grand Prix driving a Renault car. Alonso also achieved a podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix, having qualified fifth but starting third due to grid penalties for Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas.
In January 2022, team principal Marcin Budkowski and non-executive director Alain Prost left their roles. Otmar Szafnauer was appointed as the new team principal, and Bruno Famin was recruited as executive director of Alpine at Viry-Châtillon, having previously led Peugeot to success in endurance racing.
Alonso moved to Aston Martin for the 2023 season seeking a multi-year contract. Alpine announced Oscar Piastri would replace Alonso; however, Piastri immediately denied having a contract with the team. A hearing of the Contract Recognition Board determined that Alpine did not have a valid contract with Piastri, allowing him to race with McLaren in 2023. During the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix weekend, Alpine confirmed Pierre Gasly’s multiple-year contract.
Alpine finished the season sixth in the Constructors' Championship, with Gasly and Ocon finishing 11th and 12th in the drivers’ standings. The team reportedly lost approximately half a second per lap due to the Renault power unit lagging behind its rivals.
Alpine retained Gasly and Ocon for the 2024 season. At the Bahrain Grand Prix, the team qualified at the back of the grid and finished 17th and 18th. Following the race, technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer left the team, leading to a restructuring of the technical department with three technical directors overseeing engineering, aerodynamics, and performance. Bob Bell also left to join Aston Martin.
After four races without points, Alpine scored their first points at the Miami Grand Prix. At the Monaco Grand Prix, Ocon collided with Gasly during an overtake attempt, resulting in Ocon’s retirement and a five-place grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix. Ocon later apologized for his role in the incident.
Alpine achieved a double podium at the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix, with Ocon finishing second and Gasly third. This marked “Team Enstone’s” first double podium under the Alpine name and their first double points finish under any name since the 2013 Korean Grand Prix when the team was known as Lotus F1.
For 2025, Gasly was retained, and Jack Doohan was promoted to a full-time race drive, replacing Ocon. Four drivers were selected as test and reserve drivers: Paul Aron, Franco Colapinto, Ryō Hirakawa, and Kush Maini. Hirakawa subsequently moved to Haas. The 2025 season began poorly for Alpine, and following the Miami Grand Prix, team principal Oliver Oakes resigned, with Flavio Briatore becoming the de facto team principal.
On September 30, 2024, Renault announced it would end its engine program after the 2025 championship, meaning Alpine would become a customer team of Mercedes from the 2026 season onwards, utilizing Mercedes engines and gearboxes. For 2026, Alpine retained Gasly, with Colapinto signed for a full-time drive.
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