New potential breakthrough for Andretti emerges as General Motors rumour swirls
Andretti Global and Cadillac saw their bid to enter F1 rejected.
While many Formula 1 teams have signed deals to secure power unit suppliers, one key outfit has remained on the outside looking in: Alpine.
Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, Audi and Red Bull Powertrains (in partnership with Ford) are all hard at work developing the latest hybrid power unit for their teams, but Alpine hasn’t committed to either purchasing a PU from another supplier or building its own machinery. Could this be an opening for Andretti?
Will Renault and General Motors join forces?
According to a new report from Auto Motor und Sport, Alpine may not be taking on either of the options mentioned above — at least, not entirely.
Rather, it appears that Renault is looking to partner with General Motors to develop a power unit in tandem for the 2026 season.
GM had originally intended to enter Formula 1 with the Andretti Global team before the outfit’s petition for entry was rejected. However, GM still stated its intention to build a Cadillac power unit that it would debut in 2028 — albeit perhaps not with Andretti.
If this rumor is true, the Alpine team could see some serious benefits. It wouldn’t have to foot the entire bill for PU development on its own, not if it would split the costs of development with General Motors.
It would also prevent Alpine from having to buy a power unit from another supplier, leaving the team at the developmental mercy of another auto manufacturer.
But if GM and Alpine were to join forces, would there be any room for Andretti?
Formula 1’s U.S. ties:
Stars and racing stripes: Six American teams that failed to crack F1
F1 US driver ladder: Which American driver most deserves a place on the F1 grid?
Alpine boss Luca de Meo has regularly insisted that the team is not for sale, quashing any hopes of Andretti being able to directly purchase the entire outfit.
However, as Auto Motor und Sport reports, an Alpine/GM collaboration also opens up the possibility of a collaboration between Alpine and Andretti.
When the team signed Flavio Briatore as a strategic advisor earlier this year, Briatore said he intended to get the team back on track with new people.
Many of those changes are already playing out. Alpine has parted ways with team boss Bruno Famin this weekend, while key technical personnel left the outfit at the start of 2024.
The changes have left a vacuum of instability behind. With these new GM rumors, perhaps Andretti Global could help fill some of the gaps.
Read next: Alpine set for another new team boss with Bruno Famin departure imminent
