On January 23, Alpine will kick off its season in Barcelona with a symbolic event, serving as a prelude to the team’s new technical cycle. After finishing last in the 2025 Constructors’ Championship, the French team is fully focused on its 2026 project, switching from Renault to Mercedes power units in a bid to turn the page and pursue more consistent results.
The event in Barcelona will take place just days before the private shakedown on the Catalan circuit. The announcement was shared on Alpine’s social media channels, without revealing too many details. However, it is expected to showcase the car’s livery, while the full-spec 2026 car will be revealed later.
Even so, the presentation holds strong symbolic value. Alpine is preparing to move on from a disappointing 2025, ending last in the Constructors’ Championship – a position the Enstone-based team had not experienced for over forty years. This outcome is partly due to the early decision to halt 2025 development and fully focus on 2026.
Devoting all resources to next year’s car, ahead of schedule, inevitably affected the competitiveness of the current car. However, it was a deliberate, almost drastic decision, aimed at maximizing the potential of the new technical regulations and building a stronger foundation for the future.
Pierre Gasly explained it candidly: “If it gives me better results next year, I don’t care about this season: it will all be justified. What we could have achieved this year wouldn’t have been enough anyway. A few weeks or months of advantage can give us a margin over the others and lead us to the success we are aiming for. Sometimes, to achieve greatness, you have to make tough choices.”
For Alpine, this also marks the beginning of a new era. By the end of the season, the French team will bid farewell to Renault power units, which will no longer be present in Formula 1 from next year. Alpine will start the new technical cycle with Mercedes power units, and the scope of the 2026 project has even led the team to acquire the gearbox and rear suspension from the German manufacturer.
Barcelona thus becomes the stage for a fresh start. It will not only mark the beginning of the season but also the moment when Alpine prepares to change its identity and core, with the ambition of opening a chapter that could bring greater success and stronger performances.
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