Alpine’s acting big shot, Bruno Famin, is pretty pumped about snagging Eric Meignan as the new engine head. Famin’s got his fingers crossed that Meignan’s wealth of experience, leading the power unit game at both Mercedes and Ferrari, will give their team the kick it needs to climb up the ranks. Fun fact, Meignan’s taking over the role that Famin used to rock.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Meignan. The Renault power unit he’s dealing with has been a bit of a laggard compared to the other three suppliers. Rumors about Renault’s underwhelming power unit started swirling during the Szafnauer era, and the truth spilled out during the F1 Commission pow-wow in August.
Meignan’s mission? Figure out how to juice up the Renault power unit, focusing his magic on the team’s ride, the Alpine, which happens to be the only car on the grid repping the Renault power unit this year.
Famin spilled the beans on Meignan’s arrival, sounding pretty jazzed about having him shake things up at Viry-Châtillon. According to Famin, Meignan’s here to “challenge our guys” and bring some fresh vibes to the crew. Famin’s banking on Meignan’s Formula 1 street cred to prep for the 2026 PU generation, and he’s betting Meignan will hit the ground running.
And what’s in it for Famin? Well, he sees Meignan as a game-changer, freeing him up to boss it out in his role as the temporary team head honcho. Famin knows he’s got his hands full and appreciates the backup Meignan’s throwing his way.
