Alpine A526: the car of redemption?
Alpine has officially unveiled the A526, the car the team will use in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, revealing it during a launch event in Barcelona aboard the MSC World Europa cruise ship ahead of next week’s scheduled test session.
The launch comes just two days after the car’s first track appearance during a filming day at Silverstone, where the A526 covered its first kilometers. In Barcelona, the team presented both the new car and the livery that will accompany Alpine into a season that marks the beginning of a new technical era for Formula 1.
Maintaining visual continuity with recent years, the Enstone-based team confirmed its traditional blue and pink color scheme. Technically, however, 2026 represents a significant break from the past, with completely revised regulations and the transition to a Mercedes power unit following the departure from Renault.
Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto will make up Alpine’s driver lineup for 2026, while the management structure features Managing Director Steve Nielsen, who joined last September, alongside Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore.
The team’s declared goal is to reverse course after a particularly difficult 2025 season, finishing last in the Constructors’ Championship with 22 points, 48 behind the team immediately ahead, Kick Sauber. In this context, Alpine has chosen to focus early on the 2026 project, concentrating resources and development on the new car to be fully prepared for the regulation changes and the new power unit architecture.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for the BWT Alpine Formula One Team,” said Flavio Briatore during the launch event. “It is a great pleasure to start our season here in Barcelona with our partner MSC Cruises aboard the MSC World Europa, as we prepare for what will undoubtedly be a unique season in Formula One history, especially for us with the introduction of the new technical regulations, offering a blank slate and a huge opportunity to be more competitive than in previous campaigns.”
Briatore also highlighted the work done at Enstone and the value of the new technical partnership with Mercedes-AMG. “It has been an intense few months at the Enstone factory preparing for the season, designing and building the A526 alongside Mercedes-AMG, who will supply the new power unit and gearbox this year: a partnership we are very excited about.”
“Being supported by so many partners, including our title partner BWT, our hosts MSC Cruises, and premium partner Eni, during this event where we reveal our livery, is simply fantastic. I thank everyone, both new and long-standing partners, for their commitment to the team, especially after the challenges we faced on track last year.”
Gasly: a technical reference for Alpine
From a sporting perspective, Pierre Gasly will continue to be the team’s technical reference in his fourth year with Alpine, having scored all of the team’s points last season. The Frenchman sees 2026 as an opportunity for a revival across the team.
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