TMW: Alpine Becomes A Customer Team
It's been an F1-centric news week so far, from Alpine partnering with Mercedes to the series planning a full-field livery launch in 2025.
The Morning Warmup
Nov. 13, 2024
Today’s Top Stories
1) Alpine confirms PU and gearbox deal with Mercedes starting in 2026 (F1)
Alpine confirmed Tuesday that it will become a Mercedes customer when the new Formula 1 power unit regulations begin in 2026, ending its time as an F1 engine provider.
The French organization will use both Mercedes power units and gearboxes after the sport’s current era draws to a close.
A company statement read:
“BWT Alpine Formula One Team, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix have entered into Power Unit and Gearbox Agreements from the start of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship.
“The multi-year agreement will see Mercedes-Benz supply BWT Alpine Formula One Team with power units for the duration of the new regulation era, from 2026 until at least 2030. Alongside the power unit, BWT Alpine Formula One Team will also be supplied with Mercedes gearboxes from the 2026 season.
“The team remains focused on performing in the strongest way possible in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.”
This move was foreshadowed earlier in the year, when the French squad confirmed plans to redistribute resources and personnel at its Viry-Chatillon factory. It will mark the first time the Renault Group hasn’t produced F1 engines since 1989.
Mercedes currently supplies McLaren, Williams and Aston Martin. But Aston Martin will switch to Honda in 2026, opening up a slot that Alpine is now set to fill.
(Source(s): Chris Medland / RACER)
2) F1 plans full-field livery reveal at joint launch event in 2025 (F1)
Formula 1 is shaking things up in 2025, holding a collective season launch featuring all 10 teams as part of the tour’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
The event will take place at The O2 arena in London on Feb. 18, 2025. Each competing organization will unveil its new livery at the launch, with appearances slated from multiple drivers and team figures. It’s likely that teams will use show cars given the tight time crunch and presence of teams located outside of the U.K.
Fans will be able to buy tickets and the event will be broadcast live, offering an early showcase for F1 ahead of Bahrain’s pre-season testing on Feb. 26.
Creative specialist Brian Burke, who previously worked on the opening and closing ceremonies from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, will produce the event. It’s currently planned as a one-off effort tied to the sport’s 75th anniversary, though it could return and be tweaked for future years if it proves successful.
F1’s launch event will serve as a shakeup from the series’ status quo. Teams typically unveil their cars and liveries with a mixture of digital reveals, glitzy launch events and shakedown runs over the weeks preceding preseason testing.
(Source(s): Scott Mitchell-Malm / The Race)
News and Notes
NASCAR
NASCAR penalized Anthony Alfredo for intentionally wrecking Stefan Parsons in the Xfinity Series season finale.
FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass talked one-on-one with three-time champ Joey Logano on Tuesday.
Here’s something you likely didn’t expect - Sportsnaut’s Matt Weaver compared Logano to the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
On the heels of Logano’s win, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck argues that NASCAR’s playoff system is broken.
Motorsport’s Alanis King followed Tyler Reddick and the No. 45 23XI Racing teams to look inside the battle for a NASCAR title in Phoenix.
Numerous eras came to a close in Arizona as NASCAR wrapped up its 2024 season. (Nick DeGroot / Motorsport)
People can say what they will. But when it counted most, nobody had an answer for Joey Logano. (Kelly Crandall / RACER)
IndyCar
A.J. Foyt Racing has parted ways with technical director Michael Cannon. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Romain Grosjean is chasing a spot on the IndyCar grid in 2025, but fears financial concerns - particularly tied to the new hybrid era - may keep him from landing a ride. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Indy NXT title contender Jacob Abel will test with Chip Ganassi Racing at Texas Motor Speedway on Thursday. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
PREMA Racing is deep into preparation for its NTT IndyCar Series debut. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing just keep winning. How does their good fortune affect the rest of the IndyCar grid? (Joey Barnes / Motorsport)
F1
F1 race director Niels Wittich has stepped down to pursue new opportunities. Former F2 and F3 director Rui Marques will take over the role for the final three races of the 2024 season. (Chris Medland / RACER)
The surprise exit as a hint as additional tension for the FIA. (Scott Mitchell-Malm / The Race)
Aston Martin technical directory Dan Fallows has stepped down from his role with immediate effect. (Filip Cleeren / Motorsport)
Sergio Perez kicked back multiple contract offers to stay with Red Bull earlier this season. (Mat Coch / Speedcafe)
Max Esterson is moving up to Formula 2 for the final two rounds of the 2024 season with Trident. (Chris Medland / RACER)
An FIA factory investigation has cleared Red Bull of allegations tied to its front bib adjuster. (Jonathan Noble / Motorsport)
Supercars
Kiwi Jaxon Evans has secured a second Supercars season in 2025 with Brad Jones Racing. (Stefan Bartholomaeus / Speedcafe)
Veteran team engineer Perry Kapper will join Supercars as a technical director, leaving Dick Johnson Racing for the opportunity. (Simon Chapman / Speedcafe)
Erebus Motorsport plans to “promote from within” to fill its open co-driver roles in 2025. per team boss Barry Ryan. (Stefan Bartholomaeus / Speedcafe)
Sports Cars
Actor Patrick Dempsey’s racing return is being documented in a four-part docuseries. It’ll be called ‘Back on Track.’ (Mark Glendenning / RACER)
Moto
The end of the road is near for Aleix Espargaro. Motorsport’s Ollie Barstow feels he should take pride from his MotoGP accomplishments.
Rally
Content creator Sven Grube is chasing his rally racing dreams. (Luke Barry / DirtFish)
Electric Racing
Formula E held a groundbreaking all-female test last week. Here’s a look inside of the test. (Dominik Wilde / RACER)
Drag Racing
NHRA Factory Stock Showdown driver Stephen Bell will debut in Pro Stock next year with Elite Motorsports. (Courtney Enders / FloRacing)
Other
An IROC exhibition will take place at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Aug. 13-16, 2025. (Zach Evans / Racing America)
On Track This Week
All Times ET
Wednesday, Nov. 13
No races scheduled.
-
Thursday, Nov. 14
Dirt
American Sprint Car Series (Tulsa Speedway): 8:15 p.m., DirtVision
Fast Fact
The 2024 Xfinity Series season wasn’t Justin Allgaier’s best on paper. He’s had more wins (5, 2018), a better average finish (9.0, 2019) and led many more laps (1,008, 2020). He’s even finished better in the fall Phoenix race (Allgaier won it in 2019, when it was the penultimate event). But in a championship format largely defined by one race, the Illinoisan’s runner-up run in the Phoenix finale and two-win 2024 campaign may prove to be the biggest race and season of his career.
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