Formula 1 will look and sound very different in 2026 when new regulations sweep the sport, but a planned rollout of new hybrid engines looked to be on rocky ground as talk of a return to V10 engines wafted down the grid. Now, Alpine has welcomed Formula 1’s commitment to hybrid power following weeks of “distraction” in the sport.
The series’ new regulations will bring smaller and lighter cars to the sport, adding active aerodynamics, and rolling out new power units that rely on a 50/50 split in power from the internal combustion engine and hybrid components.
The increase in hybrid power was thrown into doubt in recent weeks, however, when FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the sport should explore “a range of directions” for its future powertrains. One suggestion he floated was a return to “the roaring sound of the V10,” which could rely on sustainable fuels to stick with F1’s ambitions to go green.
After a meeting of F1’s engine suppliers last week, these plans now don’t look likely to come to fruition, which Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes believes is the “right choice” for the future of the sport.
“I think for us as a team, obviously, we’re just happy it’s clarified and it’s now business as usual for 2026,” Oakes told reporters including Motorsport.com after the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“I think there’s been a little bit of a distraction the past few weeks with things being said just to know where we stood and keep continuing what we’re doing.”
Oliver Oakes, Alpine
Photo by: Peter Fox – Getty Images
“But for us we think it’s a good thing that those regulations have been worked on for quite a long time now, I think there’s been a lot of investment from the power unit manufacturers, so I think it’s definitely the right choice.”
In a meeting of Formula 1’s 2026 engine suppliers last week, it was confirmed that hybrid power would “be part of any future considerations,” shutting the door to a return of the naturally aspirated V10 that Formula 1 teams ran as far back as 1989.
Discussions over future powertrain options will continue, however, with the sport open to talks on what F1’s engine formula for 2031 and beyond could look like.
“It’s good that there is this discussion for the future as well,” Oakes says. “For us, I guess there’s two aspects: we want to know what’s going on the chassis side but on the PU side now, we trust Mercedes – who we partnered with – that they’re going to push in the right way as well.”
Alpine is currently in its final season of racing as a full works team, with Renault revealing last year that it plans to shut its engine facility in Viry-Châtillon, France. The team will switch to Mercedes power from next year, becoming the fourth team on the grid to run the Mercedes power unit once Aston Martin switches to Honda engines.
Oakes has high hopes for the team in its final season as a works outfit, which were bolstered by a strong performance from Pierre Gasly at Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix. During the race, the Frenchman picked up the outfit’s first points of the season with a strong drive to seventh place.
“We know we’ve got a pretty good car and we know this is a bit of a transition year for us,” Oakes adds. “But the main thing is we feel that we’ve got a pretty good group here, the strategy’s been good and the way we’re working in the team, so I think it was a question of sort of when, not if, we knew we’d get some points.”
The French side will be hoping to continue this form into this weekend’s race in Saudi Arabia, which kicks off with first practice at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit at 9:30 eastern time.
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