Renault’s F1 story has effectively ended as a factory engine program: the brand decided to shut down its Viry-Chatillon power unit operation after 2025, and Alpine moved to Mercedes customer engines for 2026. The team itself did not vanish from F1, but Renault’s direct works-engine era did.

What changed

  • Renault stepped back from building its own F1 power unit after years of declining competitiveness and internal pressure over the project.
  • The brand’s F1 presence continued through Alpine, but under a different identity and with a customer engine arrangement rather than a full Renault works package.
  • Reports in late 2025 described the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the end of Renault’s engine-supplier era in Formula 1.

The short version

If you mean “what happened to Renault F1?”, the answer is: Renault didn’t fully disappear from the sport right away, but its official engine program was wound down, and the operation was rebranded/restructured under Alpine with Mercedes power coming in for 2026.

Why it happened

  • Performance never fully matched the top teams in the modern hybrid era.
  • Renault management also faced criticism and strategic pressure, which fueled the decision to end the works engine effort.
  • The company said it had no intention of selling Alpine or abandoning Formula 1, even while it shut down the engine program.

If you want, I can also give you a quick timeline of Renault in F1 from championship wins to the Alpine era.