F1 Rumours: Will Struggling Renault Keep Alpine F1 Team?
Jul.18 - Staff and fans of Renault's Formula 1 team Alpine may be feeling nervous ahead of the Belgian GP next weekend.
Recently, Renault CEO Luca de Meo suddenly resigned - and now devastating financial results have compounded the French carmaker's misery.
"Yesterday, Renault Group shares collapsed," said Elmir Valeev, a Formula 1 commentator for Setanta Sports.
"Not fell, but collapsed by almost 20 percent, and a day later there is no sign of a rebound."
Indeed, Renault has already announced cost-cutting measures, having admitted cash flow in the first half of 2025 of just 47 million euros - hundreds of millions of euros below expectations.
"That's almost a disaster," said Valeev.
In the void left by de Meo, who last year appointed Flavio Briatore as his executive advisor for Formula 1, Renault has now appointed a new CEO but only "for an interim period".
"The selection process for the new Chief Executive Officer is already well underway," a Renault statement declared.
Whoever is ultimately appointed will surely feel increasing pressure to look critically at the expensive investment required for the Alpine team.
"In such a situation," said Valeev, "you have to get rid of non-core assets. And their main non-core asset is the Formula 1 team.
"Imagine the situation - your company is suffering colossal losses and has huge problems with cash. Then you have a not-particularly core asset - a Formula 1 team. A team in which you invested several hundred million dollars, but which now, after the explosive growth of the championship, is worth one and a half billion.
"And despite such a cosmic price tag, there are groups and consortiums swarming around - literally swarming - wanting to give you this money in exchange for a team that is not your core business.
"What would you do?" he wrote on Telegram.
It is being rumoured that if Mercedes succeeds at signing Max Verstappen for 2026, Toto Wolff will do a deal with Briatore to loan Kimi Antonelli to Alpine.
Rookie Antonelli, just 18, has admitted to struggling for performance recently - and also grappling with the huge pressure of having replaced Lewis Hamilton at a big team.
"It's like swimming in a sea full of sharks," the young Italian tells Corriere della Sera newspaper. "It takes just a moment to fall into the trap and be eaten.
"I realised this in Imola, where I understood how important it is to make time for myself. Moments where I'm alone, in a quiet place, where I can mentally switch off and isolate myself."
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I think Renault should sell Team Enstone & as pointed out yesterday, nothing will happen regarding Antonelli after already driving in a top team & getting to grips with the challenge decently quickly, with the whole purpose being that he's fully prepared for 2026 after a largely pressure & success-free season under stable technical regulations or otherwise he wouldn't have started racing in F1 this season as any separate later change would be totally contradictory & therefore, have zero benefit for him anymore.
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