FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria - June 28, 2024 Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff before practice REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl/File Photo
SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) - Mercedes have told Renault-owned Alpine they are 'open-minded' on supplying Formula One power units from 2026 should the French manufacturer decide not to make its own, team boss Toto Wolff said on Friday.
Renault are known to be assessing their future as an engine manufacturer, with a new era starting in 2026 and requiring hefty investment.
There has been speculation Alpine could become a customer of Mercedes but Wolff told reporters at the British Grand Prix that it was a complicated situation.
Mercedes currently supply their own factory team, Williams, Aston Martin and McLaren with engines but Aston will be Honda powered from 2026.
"We like the thought of replacing Aston Martin with another team because of the sheer learning you're doing," said Wolff.
"We're set up as an organisation that the more power units the better it is in terms of accelerating some of the developments or the reliability.
"So this is where it is. It didn't go beyond the point of exchanging opinions or having exploratory discussions. I think Alpine will take a decision soon on whether they want to continue with their Formula One engine programme or not.
"Only when they have taken that strategic decision we would dive into our agreements. But we are open-minded and that's what we have told them."
Alpine, the only team to use Renault engines, are under-performing and only eighth in the standings with nine points.
McLaren boss Zak Brown said what was good for Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) was also good for his team but felt a decision would need to be taken before the August break.
Williams boss James Vowles said the more engines being used, the more learning was being acquired to benefit all the teams using the power unit but also cautioned that time was tight.
"We have been working alongside HPP in order to get the concept right for 2026 already for many, many months," he added. "So whatever you do, you are going to be six to 12 months behind the three other teams.
"That's quite penalising in the grand scheme of things... there's going to be areas where you're going to be compromising on. There's a tremendous amount of work getting '26 right and the smallest decision on layout can actually have quite a large impact."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
