Alpine

Alpine are effectively the Renault works team in F1, and are based at Enstone. 

Alpine in 2025

After a slow start to 2024, Alpine ended the year strongly with regular points finishes. Their double-podium finish at the São Paulo Grand Prix propelled them ahead of Haas in the constructors’ championship. It was a remarkable turnaround for the French outfit, which were the slowest team at the start of the season.

It has been busy behind the scenes at Alpine over the past 12 months, with Flavio Briatore returning as executive advisor, while Oliver Oakes serves as the team principal. In terms of drivers, Pierre Gasly remains for a third consecutive season, teaming up with Jack Doohan.

Gasly has cemented his place in F1 as a lightning-quick, capable midfield performer. On the other hand, Doohan has just one F1 start to his name after stepping in for Esteban Ocon at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Alpine's F1 History

‘Team Enstone’s F1 history stretches back to the 1980s, starting off with Toleman, then Benetton, before Renault under its various guises (Lotus, Renault, and now Alpine).

Their first period of success came during the Benetton era, storming to two drivers’ world championships with Michael Schumacher. His departure to Ferrari in 1996 inevitably resulted in their decline.

Fast forward to 2002, the Renault name was back on the grid. In 2005, the team claimed both drivers’ and constructors’ titles, with Fernando Alonso coming out on top ahead of Kimi Raikkonen.

One year later, they backed it up, this time Alonso going head-to-head with Schumacher. In a similar fashion to Benetton with Schumacher, Alonso’s departure coincided with their gradual decline.

Alonso ultimately returned in 2008 but could only muster two victories as they languished behind McLaren and Ferrari. The ‘Crashgate’ scandal put immense pressure on the team, and while 2010 was respectable in the hands of Robert Kubica, the team was ultimately sold to Genii Capital with Lotus Cars as the title sponsor.

Under the Lotus-Renault name, the team returned to being a front-runner, spearheaded by Raikkonen. The Finn finished third in the 2012 championship and fifth in 2013 despite missing the final two races.

Financial troubles meant they lost Räikkönen before entering another disappointing era. Renault’s underperforming power unit meant 2014 and 2015 were poor years for them.

The team soon returned to Renault ownership in 2016, but since then, ‘Team Enstone’ have found themselves in a familiar position. Stuck between fourth and sixth in the constructors’ championship under the Renault and now Alpine name, they’ve struggled to bridge the gap to F1’s leading factory outfits.

In 2024, Flavio Briatore returned to the organisation as executive advisor. The Italian was instrumental in Alpine abandoning their works engine project for 2026, becoming a Mercedes customer team.