If Formula One is something that intrigues you, there is a high probability that you already have a brief idea about the primary engine suppliers of this thrill-packed sport. For the past few years, the leading engine manufacturers have been Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, and Red Bull.
Similarly, Renault, a french engine manufacturing company, has been associated with Formula One for decades. They have been responsible for supplying engines to Formula One teams since 1977. The Formula One engines produced by Renault are undoubtedly some of the most technologically advanced engines in the Formula One world.
Alpine is the only F1 team known to use Renault engines. This article talks about the company and its relationship with the Alpine team in F1 in great detail. So, keep reading.
Table of Contents
Key takeaways
- The current leading engine manufacturers in Formula One are Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, and Red Bull.
- Alpine supplies engines to themselves only.
- Alpine is currently using the newest Renault Engine -the Renault E-Tech RE22.
- During the 2021 Formula One season, Renault rebranded itself as Alpine.
- Engines that are produced by Renault are some of the most technologically advanced engines
- When the 2022 Alpine Formula One engine was developed, all of Renault’s previous mistakes were considered
- Ferrari supplies engines for two teams
- Ferrari also manufactures engines for itself
- Mercedes supplies engines for itself and for three other teams.
- The Red Bull Powertrains currently supply engines to only two teams – Red Bull and AlphaTauri.
- Alpine/Renault supply engines to the Alpine team solely
Watch this video to learn more about Alpine A522 car.
What engine does Alpine use in F1?
In 2022, Alpine began using the newest Renault Engine -the Renault E-Tech RE22. The Renault Engine was in the process of being developed throughout the 2021 Formula One season. With a completely re-designed engine, the 2023 Alpine Engine delivers ultimate progress on the power front.
The engine supplier has witnessed numerous ups and downs since Renault’s beginning days. From bagging the winning trophy for winning driver and constructor championships to undergoing various setbacks – the engine supplier has seen it all.
However, the 2022 Alpine Formula One engine was developed by considering all of Renault’s previous mistakes and taking them all into account. Therefore, the re-designed Alpine Engine 2022 has been crafted to perfection and is a massive improvement, in contrast to the previous Renault engines.
New engine
With a completely re-designed engine, the 2022 Alpine Engine delivers ultimate progress on the power front. The 2022 Alpine Engine has been accepted well by the Alpine Formula One team. The Alpine Engine 2022 has a split turbine that allows straightforward routing of the exhaust pipes. This feature helps particularly with power output.
However, the split turbine was not the only factor that set the new Alpine engine apart from others. Renault also changed the engine’s ERS ( Engine Recovery System ). This particular feature of any engine helps recover the energy a car loses during a race. Therefore, the improved Engine Recovery System allows drivers to use a boost of up to 160 BHP for around 33 seconds per lap.
Although comparing the primary engine suppliers to one another may lead to numerous debates, Renault has paved the path for future success by developing this engine. Otmar Szafnauer, the Alpine team principal, believes that the re-designed engine is within 10 BHP of the leading teams.
Does Alpine make their F1 engine?
To this day, Alpine manufactures its own Formula One engines. The engines Alpine manufactures are manufactured at the Alpine Formula One factory, located on the outskirts of Paris. During the 2021 Formula One season, Renault rebranded itself as Alpine.
However, as far as the manufacture of engines is concerned, nothing changed. Regardless of the rebrand, the engines developed by Alpine still fall under Renault’s name. Alpine is the only engine supplier that solely supplies engines to themselves only.
Which Formula 1 team uses the same engine?
Alpine is the only Formula One team that uses engines manufactured by Renault. Therefore, no other team uses the same engine.
However, as far as the manufacture of engines is concerned, nothing changed. Regardless of the rebrand, the engines developed by Alpine still fall under Renault's name. Alpine is the only engine supplier that solely supplies engines to themselves only.
Other F1 engine manufacturers and customers
| F1 engine suppliers | Teams using the engine |
|---|---|
| Ferrari engine | Ferrari Haas Alfa Romeo |
| Mercedes engine | Mercedes McLaren Aston Martin Williams |
| Red Bull engine | Red Bull AlphaTauri |
| Renault engine | Alpine |
Ferrari engine
There is no doubt when an individual says that Ferrari has proven itself time after time. From competing in every single Formula One race for decades to manufacturing quality engines – Ferrari is an all-in-one deal! Ferrari has participated in a total of 1036 races and has grabbed victory in 239 races. Ferrari manufactures engines for two teams and for itself.
Ferrari
The company has been supplying engines to Formula One since 1950 and is referred to as the most successful engine supplier in the history of Formula One. Additionally, the team has managed to win 16 constructors and 15 driver’s championships. However, their success does not stop here. Ferrari drivers have managed to achieve 784 podium positions and pole starting positions.
Ferrari has not only manufactured their own Formula One cars but has also provided engines to numerous Formula One leading teams. These teams include Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull. The team is named after the owner of the company, Enzo Ferrari.
The team witnessed numerous setbacks in 2019 due to strict regulations by the FIA. However, they took the setback as encouragement and built an engine that is classified as one of the best engines to exist in Formula One.
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo has a rich history in the thrilling sport Formula One. Alfa Romeo used to be associated with the Sauber team which competed in Formula One in 1993. This team was started by Peter Sauber. However, the team soon rebranded and undertook the name of Alfa Romeo in 2019. The team has competed in 186 Grand Prix races.
The Italian team, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari share close ties, and the Italian team has appeared on the Ferrari Formula One car quite a few times. The Alfa Romeo team has been currently using the 1.6 liter V6 turbo hybrid engine. The 1.6 liter V6 turbo hybrid engine is bundled with advanced technology and merges efficiency, advanced technology, speed, design and power into one.
During their initial days, they manufactured their engines and even supplied engines to numerous Formula One teams. Yet in 2018, Alfa Romeo began sourcing its engines from Ferrari.
In 2021, the Alfa Romeo team decided to turn it up a notch and develop their racing car. The Formula One racing car that the team developed is called Alfa Romeo Racing C41 and is powered by a Ferrari engine.
Haas
Haas is a relatively newer team to Formula One. In precise terms, the Haas team is presently the youngest in Formula One and made its debut in 2016. The Haas team is based in the United States and was established by Gene Haas. The team witnessed rapid progress and has been associated with Ferrari since its debut.
Both the teams, Haas and Ferrari, share good ties. Haas owes a part of its success to Ferrari as the team has seen good results in races where Ferrari worked particularly hard to develop the finest engines.
The Haas team will continue to use Ferrari engines in the future as the team has benefited highly from the Ferrari engine, and the Ferrari engine will possibly be the best power unit to exist. During the 2021 Formula One Season, the Haas team used the brand-new Haas VF-21. This engine was powered by the Ferrari SF21 power unit 065/6 and helped boost the team in the Turkish Grand Prix.
Mercedes engine
Mercedes has been a part of Formula One since 1954. Mercedes has been involved with Formula One as a team owner and an engine supplier. Since they entered the Formula One world, success has been attached to their name.
The German company won consecutive drivers’ championships initially, yet they soon withdrew from the racing sport. Mercedes manufactures engines for itself and for three other teams.
Mercedes
Upon their return as an engine supplier, the company accumulated numerous victories under their name. Mercedes has secured over 200 race victories and a total of thirteen driver’s championships, along with ten constructors’ championships that were won by teams that used Mercedes-Benz engines.
Similar to Ferrari, Mercedes also manufactures its engines for their F1 racing team. Although the success they witnessed in the past few years declined due to the Ferrari engines, it is predicted that they will soon dominate the engine market again.
McLaren
Mclaren has undoubtedly been one of the most successful teams in Formula One and has re-written history. However, unlike other major teams like Ferrari and Mercedes, who manufacture their engines, McLaren has been dependent on external supplies throughout their Formula One journey. As of this year, after switching from engine supplier to supplier, McLaren has announced a partnership with Mercedes as their sole engine supplier. This partnership will continue till 2024.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin returned to Formula One after a long gap in 2021. Although Aston Martin is a manufacturing company as well. However, they decided to use Mercedes engines. Aston Martin has displayed its expertise in this sport. With Mercedes and this incredible team working hand in hand, success is inevitable.
Mercedes has unquestionably been one of the most successful engine manufacturers in F1 history and has won numerous championships with their engines. However, sources have reported that Aston Martin is currently considering beginning manufacturing its engines ahead of the 2026 season.
Williams
Although the Williams team manufactures their transmission, the team has already signed a long-term contract with Mercedes as their sole engine provider. In 2019, the Williams team and Mercedes combined forces and Mercedes agreed to supply engines for the Williams team. However, the contract between the two teams was supposed to expire in 2021.
Both teams decided to extend the contract. The partnership between Williams and Mercedes will now end at the end of the 2025 Formula One Championship. In 2014, the 2.4-litre v8 power units were replaced by the 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 ones that use a hybrid energy recovery system.
Williams has enjoyed a fairly successful partnership with Mercedes. The relationship between the two companies did witness a slight decline, Williams did improve greatly in the 2021 season and it is expected that Williams will regain its sparkle this season and climb its way back to the top.
Red Bull engine
Red Bull Powertrains is an engine development, engine manufacturing and engine maintenance company established in 2021. The company is owned by the Austrian conglomerate, Red Bull GmbH. The Red Bull Powertrains currently supply engines to two teams – Red Bull itself and AlphaTauri.
Red Bull
After years of running around different engine suppliers, RedBull decided on establishing its engine manufacturing company. The Red Bull formula one team previously purchased engines from Cosworth, Ferrari, Renault, and Honda. Out of all of the engine suppliers, RedBull had a particularly good experience with Honda and decided to seal the deal with them.
However, Honda announced that it would be parting ways with Formula One in 2021. After the departure of their previous engine manufacturer, Honda, Red Bull decided that it was time to begin producing their own power unit. Hence, RedBull Powertrains now provides the engines for RedBull.
AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri, a formula one team owned by RedBull, always purchased its engines from Honda. However, after the announcement of their departure, AlphaTauri had to seek an alternate way.
AlphaTauri currently uses RedBull Powertrain Engines manufactured by Honda. Although the engines that RedBull Powertrain manufacturers are not labeled with the Honda logo, Red Bull Powertrains still work alongside Honda to produce the engines.
Renault engine
Renault is a french engine manufacturing company and has been a part of Formula One for decades. The company has supplied engines to Formula One teams since 1977. The Formula One engines that are produced by this company are indefinitely some of the most technologically advanced engines that exist in the Formula One world.
Alpine
Renault manufactures engines for only Alpine. The company Renault was renamed to Alpine in 2021. However, the engines still fall under Renault’s name. The newest Alpine engine was equipped with the latest technology and it has been reported that the technological advancement of the engine could be clearly depicted in the races of the latest season.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alpine making their engines in F1?
Are Alpine F1 engines great or bad?
Why is the Alpine F1 engine not as fast as Red Bulls?
Conclusion
When the question of Formula One racing arises, the engines a car uses are of utmost importance. Alpine was recently revived. Similarly, Alpine engines have risen in fame in the past few years. Renault has been manufacturing the engines for Alpine for a while now. Renault began supplying engines to various teams in 1985.
The recent 2022 Alpine Engine was developed throughout the 2021 seasons and its incredible output has been visible. However, unlike most engine suppliers, Renault has been supplying engines to only one company – Alpine. Read more about all F1 engine manufacturers and suppliers.
