It wasn’t just a good weekend. And perhaps it’s no longer only a strong start to the season. The Japanese Grand Prix confirmed that Alpine, at least in the opening rounds of 2026, is a very solid presence in the midfield and perhaps even more. At Suzuka, Pierre Gasly finished seventh, holding off pressure from Max Verstappen for more than half the race and securing valuable points for the French team. This result carries double weight, as it came on a true, technical, and demanding track, against a Red Bull that no longer intimidates like it once did. In fact, Alpine and Red Bull are now tied on 16 points in the Constructors’ Championship, with the Enstone-based team even slightly ahead if you consider finishing positions (though it’s still early to make definitive conclusions).
Gasly’s points streak: “Best car of my career”
The most interesting aspect, however, is that Gasly’s result in Suzuka does not feel like an isolated incident. He has scored points in all three races so far this season: tenth in Melbourne, sixth in China, and seventh in Japan. Most importantly, he has shown an ability to consistently extract the full potential of the Alpine A526, keeping it firmly in the upper midfield. Not by chance, the French driver is among the few to score points in every race of this season and is even ahead of Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
At Suzuka, Gasly approached his race in two parts: first managing the car, then engaging in a tenacious defense. His race started well, building a small gap over the drivers behind him. Then the Safety Car erased everything, bunching the field together and putting Max Verstappen directly behind the Alpine. From that point on, it became a lengthy test of nerves.
After the race, Gasly emphasized this dual nature of the Suzuka Grand Prix: “It was a really intense race from start to finish, and I’m very happy with seventh place and for scoring more points for the championship. It was a very good race, managed well by the team throughout. It felt like experiencing two different phases, before and after the Safety Car.” He continued: “After the Safety Car, we had to defend against Max, who put a lot of pressure on me for 25 laps. We had to defend a lot, and it’s never easy against a four-time world champion, so I’m happy I managed to keep him behind and bring home solid points.” His words underline a key concept: Alpine has a solid technical base and is not far from the faster teams.
Moreover, Gasly went further in his comments after the Japanese weekend, describing the A526 as one of the best cars he has ever driven in Formula 1: “I think that, for now, this is the best car I’ve had in my career, maybe alongside the 2021 AlphaTauri.” This statement captures Alpine’s current moment: not yet a top team, but a squad that has finally regained a clear technical direction.
This performance did not emerge by chance. Alpine paid dearly in 2025, effectively sacrificing last season to focus early on the new 2026 regulations. A risky choice, but one that is now beginning to yield results. In Australia, the car seemed closer to eighth in the field, whereas in China and Japan the picture changed: at times, it even appeared as the fourth fastest car on track, clearly in the group immediately behind the top teams.
Briatore praises Alpine: “We’re fighting Red Bull”
It is no coincidence that Flavio Briatore, never one to mince words, praised the Japanese weekend openly: “It was another positive weekend for the team, with another strong points finish in the first part of the season. Repeating it on a different track like Suzuka confirms the progress made in China and shows that we are currently fighting Red Bull as the fourth fastest car.” A strong statement, as it openly sets the team’s ambition. On Gasly’s performance, the Italian executive was even more explicit: “Pierre delivered another fantastic race, driving excellently under pressure to keep Max behind for more than 25 laps.”
The story was different for Franco Colapinto, who continues to show flashes of speed but not yet the consistency needed to fully exploit the car’s potential. The Argentine finished outside the points, suffering especially on Saturday and with the Safety Car arriving at the worst possible moment. “It was a very long and frustrating race, where we spent a lot of time watching another car’s rear wing,” Colapinto explained. “We had a good start and gained a position on the first lap, staying close to the Racing Bulls and in the points. Then the Safety Car came at the wrong time, and we lost ground. It’s a shame because before that we were fighting with Lawson and the others.” The picture is clear: Alpine now has a points-scoring car, but bringing both cars into the top 10 still requires another step from the Argentine.
Briatore himself acknowledged this with both elegance and firmness: “With Franco, the Saturday result was the limiting factor and meant he was always forced to chase during the race. The goal must be to put himself in a better position to race more competitively in the upcoming events.”
And the best news for Alpine is that there still seems to be room for improvement. At Suzuka, the car showed some limitations in high-speed sections, with understeer that Gasly had already reported on Friday. However, the team believes it has a solid foundation from which to develop further. Additionally, the disastrous 2025 season now grants Alpine more time in wind tunnel and CFD testing compared to direct rivals, a regulatory advantage that could prove significant in the chase toward the top teams over the course of the season.
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