For Alpine, the 2025 Formula 1 season was not simply a difficult campaign: it became a true emotional, technical, and strategic stress test. It was a year spent constantly holding its breath, with a car unable to keep pace with its rivals and a Renault engine that had clearly reached the end of its development cycle.
And yet, right in the middle of the cracks, the French team managed to find something valuable. Alpine emerged from the season with greater internal solidity, more mature leadership, and a clearer operational awareness. Now, with the arrival of Mercedes power units for 2026, these elements could turn into the foundation of a genuine revival. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto have both spoken candidly about the experience, transforming what looked like a season to forget into a base from which to restart.
A bitter 2025, but full of lessons
The Enstone-based team made a clear strategic decision early on: to focus almost all of its resources on the 2026 regulations, effectively freezing development of the A525. This choice came at a high price, especially as rival teams continued to introduce upgrades deep into the season. The outcome was a double blow, combining a lack of performance on track with morale that was constantly under pressure.
Despite these limitations, Pierre Gasly still managed to stand out as a reference point within the team. Even without a competitive car, he maximized every small opportunity: a fourth-place finish in Bahrain, sixth at Silverstone, and three Q3 appearances in the final four races of the season.
“I scored the lowest points total of my F1 career, but personally I feel I delivered an excellent performance. It gives me no satisfaction at all, so I’m just very happy to put this year behind me,” the French driver said.
Behind the frustration, however, Pierre Gasly also acknowledged that 2025 left behind something essential. The season brought personal growth, increased internal responsibility, and a team that, even while suffering, learned how to look itself in the mirror and assess reality with honesty.
A more united team through adversity
Paradoxically, the lack of competitiveness forced Alpine to work with almost surgical precision, refining its processes and internal communication more than ever before.
“I’m happier than ever with the work we are doing with the team and all the preparation,” Pierre Gasly explained.
“Working with the guys, like setting up the car with mappings and adjustments, is obviously the result of three years with the team, so they have a good understanding of what I want.”
The French driver highlighted transparency as a key element of this progress.
“We have a forum where we are quite honest with each other, without pointing fingers. We are simply honest in evaluating our performance. Obviously, when you’re running in tenth place, you can’t hide things, and I think that helped us as a team to be more objective.”
Pierre Gasly identified communication and self-awareness as the true starting point for 2026.
“Communication and awareness of what we need to improve, of our strengths, and of how we can become even better.”
The overall lack of performance pushed the team to analyze every operational detail.
“When you’re missing overall performance, you focus a lot on these small details that don’t make a huge difference. I think we pushed things to the extreme… I have to say it’s the best work I’ve done with the team.”
Franco Colapinto echoed this view, emphasizing how difficult moments often bring the greatest lessons.
“I think it’s very simple: I believe you learn more from tough moments. This year we had many difficult moments, and that made us learn a lot,” the Argentine driver said.
He was particularly impressed by the resilience shown inside the team.
“Not giving up and continuing to push in difficult moments, that was the only thing that really surprised me… It was really impressive, and I think it will bring many positive results when the car is competitive.”
Looking ahead to 2026
The 2026 season represents a fresh start for Alpine, perhaps the most important turning point in its recent history. With Mercedes engines, more mature processes, and a team hardened by adversity, there is a growing belief that the tools are finally in place to return to genuine competitiveness in Formula 1.
Pierre Gasly did not hide his ambitions for the future.
“I just want to be at the front of the pack… I know that from a competitive point of view I want to fight with the drivers I see ahead, because I know I can do it.”
If the car proves to be up to the task, Alpine could transform a year of suffering into a springboard for renewal. After hitting rock bottom, the team learned how to rebuild from the foundations. Now the question is whether 2026 will be the year those foundations finally begin to support the weight of Alpine’s ambitions.
The shift to Mercedes power marks a seismic change in the Enstone culture, moving from the pride of being a full works manufacturer to the pragmatism of a customer-plus arrangement. For Gasly and Colapinto, the survival of 2025 acts as a psychological armor; having navigated the absolute basement of the standings, the team enters the new era with a “nothing to lose” intensity. If the Brackley-built engine provides the expected leap in horsepower, Alpine’s refined operational efficiency could catch many of their midfield rivals off guard. The 2026 season won’t just be about speed; it will be about whether the lessons learned in the dark days of 2025 have truly created a championship-caliber organization ready to fight at the front again.
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