The abandonment of the Renault engine in F1 is “a real heartbreak” for Mecachrome
In an exclusive interview he granted us, Christian Cornille, CEO of Mecachrome, reviewed the decision to stop using the Renault engine in Formula 1 by 2026. This news has devastated all of his teams, bringing an end to a collaboration with the French engine manufacturer that has lasted for over thirty years. The group would like to thrive in F1, but Renault's late announcement is not a good sign.
The announcement that occurred on this last day of September has upset many. With the official announcement of the cessation of production of its engine for Formula 1 in 2026, the Renault group is turning a page in its history, much to the regret of its employees in Viry-Chatillon and Formula 1 fans, not to mention other affected parties. Working closely with the French engine manufacturer for over thirty years, Mecachrome sees this collaboration come to an abrupt end.
Christian Cornille, CEO of this company specialized in aeronautics, aerospace, and automotive industries, has been busy with meetings but took the time to discuss the decision made by the Renault brand. “Seeing this chapter come to an end today brings us a lot of emotions and a sense of heartbreak,” he confided. About thirty of his employees dedicated themselves each year to assembling, testing, and delivering engines for the French Formula 1 team. The end of a shared adventure of over three decades, fueled by the employees’ shared passion for motorsports.
An immediate drop in activity
The contract between Alpine F1 Team and Mecachrome will come to an end at the end of the 2025 season, when the French engine will be put aside. However, some activities of the French company will partly cease as early as the end of 2024, when the development of the engine that will power the Alpine in Formula 1 next season concludes. Our assembly activities end as early as this year, in a very, very short term as, within a few days, we will no longer have any activities for a certain number of our employees. At the end of October, we will no longer have a role to play in this sector, Christian Cornille informs us.
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Only adjustments will be possible during the year. If the end of its collaboration with Alpine in Formula 1 is a shock for Mecachrome, the latter will continue to follow up with the French team for a few months: “We will support them to try to do our best in the 2025 championship with the current engine.”
A need to establish new collaborations.
Mecachrome did not have a say in the decision made by the Renault group. The company will continue to collaborate with Alpine in other disciplines, notably in endurance, despite the loss of the important branch that was Formula 1.
Alpine remains an important player in the automotive sector for us, as we do not only collaborate on Formula 1 activity. Of course, the latter represented about half of our activities with this manufacturer. Alpine remains a key manufacturer in the world of endurance and motorsport in other competitions. “We will try to maintain our relationship with him,” insists the CEO of Mecachrome.
The end of this partnership also marks the end of Mecachrome’s exclusivity with Alpine F1 Team. The exclusive supplier of Formula 2 engines since 2005 and of Formula 3 since 2013 wants to leverage its experience to attract new partners, especially in Formula 1. However, the timing is far from ideal. “It’s a universe that we are passionate about and for which we believe we can bring something. We are aware that this announcement comes at the worst possible time for us to find opportunities, as all the other engine manufacturers have already prepared. Unfortunately, it is a bit late to find partnerships,” deplores Christian Cornille.
What about the Mecachrome employees?
The employees of Viry-Châtillon were powerless in the face of their management’s decision. The same goes for those of Mecachrome. If no new collaboration is on the horizon for the company in the coming weeks, it will have to redeploy its employees responsible for assembling Formula 1 engines to other activities, particularly in the aerospace or Defense sectors.
In a similar position, Alpine engineers have been informed that they will not have to observe a gardening leave in case of departure to other teams, while some are already in contact with other manufacturers. Christian Cornille also expects a talent drain from Mecachrome’s side: « It is obvious that some of our employees, the most talented ones, have been lured by a number of companies. These employees inevitably have questions and some will already leave, certainly.”
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