Alpine: One-year Mercedes gearbox deal gives 'headroom' for 2027
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Alpine has explained that its decision to adopt Mercedes' gearbox for the first year of Formula 1's new regulations in 2026 reflects a calculated move to balance resources and maintain competitiveness during a pivotal era.
While the Renault-owned team will rely on the German manufacturer's transmission hardware for a single season, team principal Oliver Oakes has confirmed that Alpine intends to return to using its own gearbox from 2027 onward.
This choice comes alongside the Enstone squad's broader strategy of using Mercedes power units for 2026, a decision spearheaded by Renault CEO Luca de Meo and executive adviser Flavio Briatore.
The move, initially described by Renault's Viry-Châtillon engine department, aims to provide the team with a benchmark against top-tier competitors like McLaren and the works Mercedes outfit while reducing operational costs.
Prioritizing Resource Allocation
In an interview with Motorsport.com , Oakes outlined the rationale behind the one-year reliance on Mercedes' gearbox.
He emphasized that it was a temporary measure designed to create "headroom" during the transition to the new regulations.
"We're taking that [gearbox] just for one year in 2026. It gives us a bit of headroom during that regulation change to sort of have one less thing to worry about," Oakes explained.
"But our own gearbox is in the car now and we're performing, and it will be the same in 2027 as well going forward."
This approach allows Alpine to focus its resources on other critical areas during the challenging regulatory shift, even as it acknowledges the success of its current gearbox program.
"It's just purely balancing resources for that one season in 2026, and everyone in the team, they've designed, manufactured and built and raced a great gearbox. And it's clear to see the current results as well."
Balancing 2025 and 2026
Unlike some of its midfield rivals, Alpine is not prepared to sacrifice the 2025 season entirely to focus on 2026, even as the next-generation regulations loom large.
Williams, for instance, has openly declared his intent to shift early on most of his attention to his 2026 car, but Oakes expressed skepticism about such claims and highlighted Alpine's commitment to maintaining strong results across both seasons.
"[Balancing 2025 and 2026], that's the daily topic at the moment," Oakes said. "I think because some teams have been quite vocal about sacrificing 2025.
"How much of that you believe or not, I don't know. Maybe they're sort of trying to move some pressure off themselves because most teams know already in December where they're looking for 2025."
Instead of taking a short-term view, Oakes stressed the importance of a holistic approach to the coming years.
"From my side, we want to have a good '25. We're pretty humble that that's not going to be easy because there's quite a lot of carryover from this year," he said.
"And we know we'd love to go more to town on development and balancing resources for 2026, but I guess everyone's going to be judged the next three years.
"I think people will judge us on the job we did 23-24-25-26-27 as a period of time rather than just at that moment in F1."
The Bigger Picture
Oakes also offered insight into the long-term context of Alpine's decisions, acknowledging that some choices were shaped by circumstances that predated the team's recent restructuring.
"I'm new at the job, but I find it quite interesting reading stuff online that a lot of people don't take into context, the sort of background and the build-up to things," he remarked.
"And the situation we were in as a team, it wasn't just because of the winter. Things were signed off way earlier. And I think it's always important to look at the global view."
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