Renault to act as Andretti’s engine supplier if the team’s F1 entry bid is successful

Alpine has come to an agreement to supply Andretti with Renault Power units.

Renault to act as Andretti’s engine supplier if the team’s F1 entry bid is successful

Alpine CEO, Laurent Rossi and Michael Andretti

Andretti Autosport is presently trying to enter Formula 1. The iconic American team has the support of General Motors to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport. The Alpine F1 team has agreed on a deal to supply F1 power units to the Andretti-Cadillac endeavor. Recently, at the 2023 Alpine F1 car launch, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi confirmed these rumors.

Laurent Rossi admitted that Alpine came to an agreement with Andretti for the power units if the team entered F1. He said, “We agreed that if they get their license to run in Formula One, then we will provide them with a powertrain.” However, Rossi showed no sympathy for the backlash Andretti has faced from the incumbent F1 teams. Laurent continued, “But it’s up to them to show that they can join the Formula One circus.”

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Alpine has unveiled its 2023 F1 car, the A523

Previously, team bosses such as Toto Wolff have stated their views against the Andretti F1 bid. Laurent further described that Andretti must go through the entire process properly to show that it deserves a place in F1. He stated, “they need to go through the hoops, the process in place where they submit applications. And they show that they bring value to the F1 circus and teams in general.”

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“If they join, we’ll be happy to join them,” Alpine CEO on Andretti’s F1 endeavor

The Renault-owned Alpine is the only F1 engine manufacturer without a customer team

The Alpine boss mentioned that the French team would be glad to race alongside the prestigious Andretti name if Michael Andretti can convince the paddock. Laurent said, “It’s for them to prove it and for the others to assess. If they join, we’ll be happy to join them. If they don’t, it means that all in all, it didn’t work out.” Additionally, Rossi even said that having Andretti in Formula 1 is “not a must-have.”

Correspondingly, Laurent Rossi mentioned how a second team could certainly benefit the Renault Power units program. The Alpine boss said, “We could use a second team because you accumulate more data across four cars than you do with two.” However, Rossi did not shy away from mentioning the increased workload for supplying a customer team. He concluded, “It’s a drag on your team as well, so you need to be completely well-structured. We couldn’t do that two years ago.”

Thus, it seems that Alpine is not relying on Andretti’s customer supply deal. The French team will certainly benefit from the data extracted by two extra cars runnings its Power units. However, in recent years, the Renault engine program has gotten used to supplying only its works team. Subsequently, a customer deal might stress the French team initially as it gets to grips with a customer program once again.