Alpine is going to invest to expand its F1 factory in Enstone and its simulator
The Franco-English team, Alpine, is going to modernize its Enstone factory. Alpine plans to build a new building for its future simulator.
Alpine, formerly known as Renault, has two factories. The first one is located in Viry-Châtillon, where the engines are designed and manufactured. The second one is Enstone, the factory responsible for chassis production and the development of drivers and the race car.
Otmar Szafnauer has just announced that the Enstone factory will expand and modernize. The Formula 1 team will receive a state-of-the-art simulator to improve its performance. However, the simulator will not be the only innovation.
We are in the process of improving our production facilities. We have purchased a state-of-the-art simulator. There will be a new building where the simulator will be installed, and there is also a “high-performance human” area that is currently being developed, says the director of the Franco-English stable.
The main obstacle to these improvements is the budget limit imposed by the FIA for all F1 teams. The team would not be able to invest as much as desired otherwise there would be a lack of money in other areas.
The FIA and the teams are reportedly in talks to increase the investment cap for the teams. The FIA is now surveying all the teams to find a reasonable level. It would be necessary to increase the limit between 20, 30, and 40 million dollars of investment for all the teams to be on an equal footing, details Otmar Szafnauer.
The team director proposes a solution for teams to be able to invest and be on equal footing: « We can only spend 40 million more than the cost cap once, and this will be done within a certain time period, before 2026. »
To further develop the Enstone factory, the team is awaiting authorization. « As soon as the FIA gives the green light to increase the budget cap share in order to create fair competition conditions, we will introduce simulation tools, » the 58-year-old man concluded.
Investments are crucial in Formula 1 in order to have constantly cutting-edge equipment. Aston Martin, thanks in particular to Lawrence Stroll’s colossal investments, is currently building a brand new factory from scratch and most teams regularly upgrade their buildings.
