Renault axe declared a ‘statement of intent’ ahead of new F1 era

Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has outlined Renault’s decision to withdraw from F1 was a “statement of intent”.

It was announced at the end of September that Renault would no longer build power units beyond the 2025 F1 campaign.

For the new cycle of technical regulations that commences in 2026, Alpine will become a customer team powered by Mercedes.

Renault’s F1 power units have largely lacked pace compared to other manufacturers during the sport’s turbo-hybrid era, whilst the team’s on-track results have also failed to gain momentum in recent seasons.

“I know it was a difficult decision,” Oakes said of the F1 engine axe, speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“I know there’s a lot of emotion there because we are proud to be a works team and we still have a year all together next year, but I do feel that was also a big statement of intent of where we want to go.

“We’re not here just to be making up the numbers. We want to be pushing forward. I just want the best engine in the back of the car. At the end of the day, for me, we’re here to go racing.

“I want to be at the front of the grid. I don’t want to be walking to the back. And cruelly, the choice we made was to get the best engine in the back of the car and help the team keep climbing back up the grid.”