The FIA has no intention of forcing Renault to remain as an engine supplier in Formula 1. Nikolas Tombazis, FIA’s single-seater director, reveals that the French car manufacturer has paid a registration fee to participate as a supplier under the 2026 regulations, but the governing body will not compel the company to fulfill their promise.
The Alpine Formula 1 team announced in early November that it would continue as a customer team of Mercedes from 2026. This marks the end of the long-standing engine supply by parent company Renault. The French company plans to use the engine factory in Viry-Châtillon for street car technology.
Alpine’s collaboration with Mercedes begins in 2026, the same year the new regulations come into effect. Renault had previously committed to agreeing with the revised regulations, which include a provision for an equal distribution between electric energy and a combustion engine running on sustainable biofuels. However, FIA director Tombazis emphasized that the governing body is not intent on pressuring Renault to stick to their earlier promise.
“When we defined the registration process, we discussed that the registration was intended to cover the FIA’s costs for overseeing the engine manufacturers in drafting these rules,” Tombazis told Motorsport Week. “But they are not meant to keep anyone in the sport at all costs.”
No Coercion
The FIA chief explains that the registration fee paid by Renault is not a binding condition for the French car manufacturer to remain as an engine supplier in Formula 1. “I don’t think the FIA would ever force an engine supplier to make a 1 billion dollar investment because they registered and paid a small registration fee,” Tombazis continues. “It was always possible for anyone to withdraw, and we want people to stay because they want to, not because we force them.
