The 2026 Formula 1 regulations have not only altered the balance of power at the front of the grid. While Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren continue to contest the leading positions, some of the most visible changes have taken place in the midfield, where Racing Bulls and Alpine have transformed difficult 2025 campaigns into genuine seasons of revival.
Both teams have used the new technical cycle to produce more balanced and competitive cars. Racing Bulls has established itself as one of the strongest midfield operations, while Alpine has returned to the fight for regular top-10 finishes after rediscovering a convincing technical direction.
How Racing Bulls and Alpine improved from 2025 to 2026
Racing Bulls and Alpine entered the season following campaigns defined by inconsistent performances and only occasional appearances in the points. Several months into 2026, the picture looks completely different.
Racing Bulls has become a regular presence near the front of the midfield, while Alpine is once again capable of fighting consistently for the top 10. The improvement is reflected in the 2026 Formula 1 driver standings, where Liam Lawson currently occupies ninth place, immediately followed by Pierre Gasly, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto.
The four drivers are fighting to finish inside the championship’s top 10, a considerable change from the position their teams faced last season. The new regulations have played an important role, but the progress cannot be attributed to the rule changes alone.
Both teams have completed significant development work, allowing them to build cars that are more competitive, predictable and well balanced than their 2025 predecessors.
Racing Bulls becomes a regular points contender in 2026
Racing Bulls has undoubtedly been one of the most positive surprises of the 2026 Formula 1 season. After an inconsistent 2025 campaign, the Faenza-based team has built its progress around continuity and developed into a permanent contender for points.
The car’s potential became clear during the opening rounds. At the Australian Grand Prix, Arvid Lindblad finished eighth on his Formula 1 debut. Liam Lawson then secured another valuable points result in China, while Racing Bulls continued to demonstrate its competitiveness as the championship visited different types of circuit.
One of the defining moments of the team’s season came in Monaco. Liam Lawson finished sixth and Arvid Lindblad took seventh, giving Racing Bulls a major points haul at one of the most demanding events on the calendar.
The team maintained that momentum in the following races, scoring regularly and consolidating its position among the strongest midfield teams in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship.
Racing Bulls has scored at almost every Grand Prix
Miami remains the only Grand Prix at which the Red Bull sister team has failed to score any points. Despite that setback, Racing Bulls used the enforced break in April effectively, as team principal Alan Permane acknowledged at the time.
That response demonstrated the team’s ability to adapt and make the most of every available opportunity. At every other Grand Prix, at least one of its two drivers has finished in the points, underlining the consistency that has defined its 2026 campaign.
The Hungarian Grand Prix provided further evidence of the team’s progress compared with 2025. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad both scored points at the Hungaroring, helping Racing Bulls move ahead of Alpine in their increasingly close midfield contest.
The car’s competitiveness has not been the only factor behind the results. Effective strategies, limited operational mistakes and an increasingly cohesive driver partnership have enabled Racing Bulls to capitalise on almost every opportunity available.
Alpine returns to competitive form in 2026
While Racing Bulls may be the surprise of the season, Alpine is arguably the team that has made the clearest improvement compared with 2025. Last year’s campaign was compromised by a car that was difficult to set up, inconsistent across different circuits and frequently unable to challenge for points.
The introduction of the new regulations allowed the Enstone team to rebuild from a much stronger foundation. Positive signs emerged during the opening rounds, but the Monaco Grand Prix provided the clearest confirmation of Alpine’s progress.
Pierre Gasly secured an excellent third place, delivering Alpine’s first podium of the season and proving that the new car was finally capable of competing at a high level. The result was ultimately confirmed when Alpine recovered Pierre Gasly’s Monaco podium.
Beyond the podium itself, the most encouraging aspect of Alpine’s season has been the regularity of its performances. The team has returned to the top 10 consistently, benefited from the upgrades introduced during the year and produced a car that behaves far more predictably in both qualifying and race conditions.
What has really changed since the 2025 F1 season?
In 2025, Racing Bulls and Alpine were often forced to chase their rivals and hope that unusual circumstances would create an opportunity to score. In 2026, both teams approach each weekend with a realistic objective of reaching Q3 and fighting consistently for top-10 positions.
The main difference lies in the quality of their respective technical projects. Their new cars operate across a wider performance window and are capable of adapting to circuits with significantly different characteristics.
That has allowed Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto to demonstrate their potential more consistently. It has also helped both teams reduce the operational errors that undermined their performances last season.
The 2026 regulations have disrupted some of Formula 1’s established hierarchies and rewarded the teams that interpreted the technical changes most effectively. Racing Bulls and Alpine are among the clearest examples of this new competitive landscape.
Although they have followed different development paths, both teams have based their improvement on consistency. In doing so, they have transformed one of their biggest weaknesses from 2025 into a defining strength.
Racing Bulls and Alpine prepare for a close second-half battle
With several Grands Prix still to be contested after the summer break, the midfield fight remains wide open. Racing Bulls will attempt to confirm its position as the leading midfield reference, while Alpine will aim to continue its recovery through the developments planned for the second half of the season.
The battle between the two teams has already become one of the most competitive elements of the 2026 campaign. Before the Hungarian Grand Prix, Alpine was specifically targeting the advantage Racing Bulls had established in the midfield, but the Faenza team strengthened its position with another double points finish.
One conclusion is already clear: Racing Bulls and Alpine have both changed gear compared with 2025. In an increasingly competitive Formula 1 field, their ability to perform consistently is the strongest evidence of how substantial that improvement has been.
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