Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes welcomes the Renault Group’s decision to abandon its Formula 1 engine project, saying “I want the best engine.”
That’s quite an admission, isn’t it, coming from an Renault/Alpine employee. “If you want a good engine, don’t buy our shit…”.
Those are the words of a man without a paddle.
From my armchair, I’ve always felt like the engine isn’t a silver bullet for success. Having your own engine and building the car around it, getting every part working in harmony and the aero just perfect is worth so much more than the best engine in a mediocre car.
But, I kind of get it… Renault just isn’t a functioning team any more and it’s really sad to see. Maybe this would be a step to some better results, but long term it will probably limit their growth.