The constructors’ championship table can broadly be split into three brackets. First, there’s the leading quartet – Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
Mercedes started the season in a somewhat lonely position, too fast for the midfield teams but too slow to challenge the top three. But after making a breakthrough with their W15, they’ve consistently narrowed the gap to Red Bull in recent races and now sit within 150 points.
Behind them, Aston Martin already appear to be locked into fifth place with 69 points. RB (33) and Haas (27) have both posted healthy returns at this stage of the season too.
But then there’s the bottom three. Alpine started the year with the slowest car on the grid, failing to score at any of the first five races.
While they have since improved, they still haven’t cracked double figures. Williams, meanwhile, have failed to build on the 28-point promise of 2023, with Alex Albon’s two P9 finishes all they have to show for the first 13 races.
Sauber are propping up the order and are at risk of becoming F1’s first scoreless team since Haas in 2021. It feels as if the team is becoming a lame duck ahead of Audi’s arrival at the start of 2026.
Alpine staff could go on strike amid engine uncertainty
According to journalist Joe Saward, writing in his ‘Green Notebook’, Alpine in particular could face behind-the-scenes turmoil. This comes as the team explore alternative engine supply deals.
They currently race with Renault engines, built at their Viry factory, but CEO Luca de Meo could be about to pull the plug on that project. Staff have read the rumours in the media and ‘they are not happy’, having received little clarity from their leaders.
As such, there are now ‘very real fears’ that they will go on strike. And this could potentially leave Alpine without engines at some races later in the year.
‘It will take some fast talking’ to address the issue and prevent Bruno Famin’s team from being plunged into a fresh crisis. The summer break may present an opportunity for negotiations.
‘High-level sources’ say Alpine have reached engine agreement
The staff at Viry could soon receive a definitive answer, but it’s unlikely to be a satisfactory one. ‘High-level sources’ believe Alpine have reached an agreement in principle to run Mercedes engines.
The next question is whether this change takes effect in 2025 or 2026. If the two parties can sign the contracts quickly enough, then Alpine could be a Mercedes customer as early as next year.
This could clearly have major short-term ramifications for the existing personnel. Forfeiting their works team status is bound to carry consequences.
Alpine held talks with Mattia Binotto before the former Ferrari man joined Audi instead. Perhaps they need stronger, more transparent leadership to prevent things like this from happening.
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