Mecachrome tells us about its history with motorsport and Formula 1

In the beginning, quite discreet, the name of Mecachrome has become more visible in recent years. A desire by Christian Cornille, its CEO, to showcase the work of his teams. It is a source of pride for our employees, but also a way to enhance our employer brand by promoting our activities in motorsports, he analyzes in an exclusive interview with Motors Inside.

Actor in the automotive world for over 40 years, Mecachrome has been collaborating with Renault-Alpine for about twenty years on the assembly of their Formula 1 engines. The French company is also the exclusive engine supplier for Formula 2 single-seaters since 2005 as well as for Formula 3 cars since 2016.

Proof of the group's commitment to these two competitions, Mecachrome has become a sponsor of F2 and F3 this season. Branded trucks with "Formula 2 [or 3] powered by Mecachrome" can be seen in the paddock of these competitions, says Christian Cornille. We are also partners in the prize-giving ceremony organized annually by the FIA. There are now two Mecachrome awards. So, a real partnership and positioning have been established.

Continuous adjustments.

A major challenge for French engineers is to meet the various requirements imposed on them every year. Of course, as part of their partnership with Alpine, Mecachrome must satisfy the French team by assembling the engines perfectly in a discipline where every detail matters. Also, the FIA's internal regulations are constantly changing, and Mecachrome must adapt to provide high-performance engines each year that meet the standards of F2 and F3.

Latest news, the introduction of synthetic fuels as of 2025. Mecachrome has been partnering with Aramco for two years to develop this type of fuel suitable for the engines developed by the French brand. They offer us several types of fuel, we test them and make sure they provide us with the expected performance and ensure stability over time, the manager said.

An essential step towards the development of renewable fuel. « We are working hard to have these synthetic fuels because we believe that it is necessary to develop motorsport with as little fossil energy as possible » notes Christian Cornille.

An activity in other automotive sectors

Mecachrome is not content to be active only in F1, F2 or F3. The group is also present in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the WEC. We manufacture parts for other manufacturers where we act as a simple parts producer. Among their collaborators, we find Peugeot, for whom they produce important engine components.

The automotive division of the group, based in Aubigny-sur-Nère (Cher), includes other business sectors. Specifically in the area of "premium automotive." "We produce rather series parts this time for Porsche, Ferrari or AMG," the CEO indicates. "For example, we are the manufacturers of GT3, GT4, GT3 RS or GT4 RS for Porsche."

Even though the company diversifies its automotive activities, they represent only 10% of its turnover (60 million out of 600 million euros), with the majority of its profits coming from aerospace. This percentage drops to nearly 3% for the part dedicated solely to motorsport. But this sector is deeply rooted within Mecachrome and there is no doubt that it will remain so for a while. Our teams working on engine development are passionate about motorsport,” Christian Cornille emphasizes. So, what's the point of stopping?