Renault factory seething: 'It's a stab in the back, it's betrayal'

Renault engines will disappear from Formula 1 after 2025. The French brand will stop supplying engines to Alpine. Employees at Viry-Chatillon, Renault's French factory south of Paris, strongly criticise the decision.

Speaking to L'Équipe, the French newspaper, Karine Dubreucq (the union representative) explained what they see as an unpleasant surprise. "We didn't see it coming. It is a stab in the back, a betrayal. We developed engines here that could become F1 champions 12 times, and now suddenly we can't?"

At the factory, workers were firmly convinced that the engine in development would have been a good one. "We think it will be equivalent to the Mercedes engine. At worst, there is a 15bhp difference. We have redesigned everything in the turbo," one of the engine specialists, whose name was not released, told the French medium.

After the summer break, Alpine will get a new team boss. Oliver Oakes has joined the team. This is because Bruno Famin, the French constructor's current team boss, is quitting. The new team boss is only 36 years old and is the youngest team boss apart from Christian Horner.