Groupe Renault has decided the fate of its Viry-Chatillon base by creating Hypertech Alpine, as decision is firm on no F1 power unit work for 2026.
With the results not coming its way and increasing pressure, post the hiring of Flavio Briatore, the idea started to float about Renault ditching its long-standing power unit programme and go the customer way from 2026 F1 season onward.
The current cycle ends in 2025 and despite having committed to the FIA about its 2026 intentions, there were serious talks about Renault pulling out. They first talked about this just before the summer break when Bruno Famin was moved aside as well.
In the break, they hired Oliver Oakes as the team principal, as the employees at Viry-Chatillon decided for a protest against the decision of Renault. They did do it at Monza during the Italian GP along with silent protests in France at the Viry base.
The management team held talks with the employees and put September 30 as the marker to take a decision. And having done so, Groupe Renault has decided to create Hypertech Alpine – a brand new state-of-the-art engineering centre – at the Viry base.
The centre will focus on the development of Alpine Supercar along with battery development and research work. On motorsport end, they will continues its work on the WEC and Dakar racing programmes along with the F1 project.
But the key note on F1 side is ceasing power unit work of 2026, while continuing its current programme until the end of the 2025 season. In earlier reports, Mercedes were linked to be the team’s supplier, but no decision on that front has been taken as yet.
Projects to be developed by Hypertech Alpine are as follows as per the release –
- The future Alpine Supercar: the Viry-Chatillon centre will step up the development of the future Alpine Supercar.
- The battery technologies of tomorrow: Hypertech Alpine will be responsible for the brand’s sports cars’ short- to medium-term battery development. In the longer term, these teams will also carry out Research & Advanced Engineering activities on the chemistry of ultra-high energy density cells, in particular with solid state battery technology, in extreme operating conditions for Supercar-type applications.
- The new electric motor technologies: Hypertech Alpine will undertake Research & Advanced Engineering activities on these technologies in collaboration with Ampere, to prepare for the technological breakthroughs expected in the next generation of electric vehicles.
- The motorsport programme: Viry-Chatillon’s expertise is widely recognised and reflected in various existing programmes that will strengthen. These include the World Endurance Championship (WEC), customer racing or Formula E and Rally-Raid for partner brands.
- The F1 monitoring unit: Following the consultation process and dialogue with the employee representatives at Viry-Châtillon, Alpine has decided to establish an F1 monitoring unit. This unit will aim to maintain employees’ knowledge and skills in this sport and remain at the forefront of innovation for Hypertech Alpine’s various projects.
On the employee front, Renault has stated that each person affected will be proposed a new position within Hypertech Alpine, with a dedicated unit being set-up to fast-track the process, to ramp up the new projects that they are to undertake.
“Creating this Hypertech Alpine centre is key to Alpine’s development strategy and, more broadly, to the Group’s innovation strategy,” said Alpine CEO, Philippe Krief. “It is a turning point in the history of the Viry-Châtillon site, which will ensure the continuity of a savoir-faire and the inclusion of its rare skills in the Group’s ambitious future while strengthening Alpine’s position as an ‘innovation garage’. Its racing DNA remains a cornerstone of the brand. It will continue to fuel an unprecedented industrial and automotive project, thanks particularly to Hypertech Alpine.”
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