At the Miami Grand Prix, Alpine introduced a substantial technical upgrade package, featuring a particularly interesting change that also marks a clear shift in development philosophy. The rear wing concept that had been seen since pre-season testing, featuring a collapsing mechanism, has now been set aside in favor of a more traditional solution that opens in a similar way to the old DRS system.
In the exhaust area, the team also attempted to replicate elements of the FTM system.
During the pre-season testing in Barcelona, one of the major surprises had been Alpine’s introduction of a rear wing that opened in a completely different way compared to its rivals. The system used a mechanism that pushed the movable flap downward instead of pulling it upward, as was the case with the old DRS system used up until 2025 and still adopted by several teams this season.
This solution effectively allowed the movable flap to collapse downward until it reached an almost horizontal position. This level of freedom was made possible by the new 2026 technical regulations, which gave teams significantly more creative freedom in managing rear wing openings, while imposing less restrictive constraints than in the past in order to reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible.
However, after three race weekends, Alpine decided to take a step back and return to a more conventional configuration, very similar to the “old” DRS system. The flap no longer collapses by rotating almost around the leading edge, but is now lifted upwards instead: the front section rises above the endplates, taking advantage of the greater regulatory freedom, which allows less strict constraints during the opening phase.
This was one of the key updates included in Alpine’s major technical package brought to Miami, which also featured a replica of Ferrari’s FTM-inspired system, albeit in a slightly more complex configuration compared to other teams that have drawn inspiration from the Scuderia. One of the working hypotheses is that the two systems could operate in synergy.
However, in Miami Alpine was only able to bring a single example of the new rear wing, effectively accelerating its planned introduction. The upgrade had originally been scheduled for the Canadian Grand Prix at the end of May. The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races, however, allowed the team to revise its development priorities, making it possible to speed up component production at Enstone.
This required a significant effort from the factory personnel, who worked to ensure at least one unit could be shipped and fitted to Pierre Gasly’s car. The rear wing arrived in Florida only on Wednesday morning and was assembled directly on site. With an additional two weeks available, the team will now be able not only to build up a small stock of components, but also to provide a version for Franco Colapinto, who used the previous specification in Miami.
The rear wing has been modified in several areas, and to make it work properly, changes were also required on the endplates and the actuator, which now features a different shape both mechanically and aerodynamically. Since the flap now lifts upward, space had to be created to allow its rotation, which required machining and reshaping the actuator structure.
Furthermore, if you look closely at the details, you can also notice that the final section of the actuator, where a small aerodynamic profile had appeared in Japan, has now been redesigned.
“I think it is delivering the results we expected, but it is very difficult to evaluate everything in a single practice session when you are working on so many other aspects,” explained Steve Nielsen, Managing Director at Alpine.
“The updates we have brought have indeed provided a step forward. Of course, our competitors, especially those ahead of us, have done even more: just look at the list of homologated components to see who has brought the most upgrades. Ferrari and McLaren have introduced a huge number of updates. So we are satisfied with what we have brought, more will come in Montreal and it will be a continuous process throughout the year.”
In addition to the rear wing and the FTM-inspired system, Miami also saw updates at the front of the car, in the rear suspension area, and the introduction of a lighter chassis, from which Franco Colapinto particularly benefited. The car was already very close to the minimum weight at the start of the season, confirming the strong work done at Enstone in choosing to sacrifice 2025 in order to fully focus on the 2026 project.
However, the Argentine driver still had access to the first chassis unit, which was heavier, while the new chassis, initially brought only as a spare, was completed later and used for the first time during the filming day at Silverstone, in the break between Suzuka and Miami.
The break also provided an opportunity to work on these elements, allowing the team to prepare the chassis and assign it to Colapinto as the base for the car he would race in Florida, where he went on to finish seventh, his best result in Formula 1 so far.
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