Toto Wolff says the Mercedes Formula 1 team "likes the thought" of supplying customer engines to Alpine in 2026 instead of Honda-bound Aston Martin.
Alpine is considering abandoning its own Renault F1 power unit programme for the 2026 regulations and switch to becoming a customer team, with Mercedes thought to be the most likely source of engines for the Enstone-based squad.
With current Mercedes customer Aston Martin set to run works Honda engines from 2026, spare capacity could be freed up at Mercedes's HPP division in Brixworth to take on a different customer line.
Wolff indicated that Mercedes would be interested in doing so, as more power units on the grid would increase its rate of development under the new regulations.
"That’s a complicated situation because we like the thought of replacing Aston Martin with another team, because of the sheer learning you're doing," Wolff said ahead of Silverstone's British Grand Prix.
"I think 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.
"It didn't go beyond the point of exchanging opinions or having exploratory discussions.
"Alpine [need to] take a decision, do they want to continue with their Formula 1 engine programme or not?
"And only when they have taken that strategic decision, we would dive into our agreements. But we're open-minded, and that's what we have told them."
Current Mercedes customer McLaren would equally have no issue with sharing Mercedes power units with Alpine, CEO Zak Brown said.
"What's good for HPP is good for McLaren, as far as we're concerned," Brown added. "They've been an awesome partner to work with, so if it adds value to their power unit proposition, then we're all for it."
Wolff said it would be unrealistic to expect Alpine to make a final call before the summer break, because it is a "far too complicated and long-lasting, impactful decision" to make in such a short timeframe.
But with integration between the 2026 power units and the all-new chassis regulations crucial, fellow Mercedes customer Williams pointed out getting clarity on the engine situation soon would be hugely beneficial.
"From our perspective, we have been working alongside HPP in order to get the concept right for ‘26 already for many, many months. And so whatever you do, you're going to be six to 12 months behind the three other teams," Williams team boss James Vowles said.
