The key factors separating Alpine and Racing Bulls in Formula 1’s closest duel. Why Racing Bulls could still have the edge over Alpine in the battle for P5.

Alpine and Racing Bulls locked in one of Formula 1’s closest battles despite very different advantages

Among the most fascinating storylines of the 2026 Formula 1 season is the intense fight between Alpine and Racing Bulls for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Although both teams are customer outfits, each enjoys a different strategic advantage, turning their battle into one of the closest contests on the grid.

After the opening nine rounds of the championship, Alpine holds fifth place with 60 points, while Racing Bulls sits just one point behind on 59. Alpine enjoyed the stronger start to the season, but Racing Bulls has steadily improved its consistency and, over the last five Grands Prix, has regularly finished inside the top ten.

The drivers’ standings reflect just how evenly matched the two teams have become. Pierre Gasly leads the group with 42 points, followed closely by Liam Lawson on 39, while Arvid Lindblad has collected 20 points and Franco Colapinto has scored 18.

A battle that is far from evenly matched

With such a narrow gap separating the two teams, there is every reason to believe this fight could continue right through to the final race of the season. The big question, however, is what factor will ultimately decide the outcome.

At first glance, Alpine and Racing Bulls appear to be competing on equal terms, but the reality is far more complex.

Alpine benefits from being a Mercedes customer team. Despite receiving criticism when the partnership was announced, the French squad quickly learned how to maximise the performance of the Mercedes power unit, making it one of its biggest competitive strengths.

The combination of strong performance and excellent reliability has proved particularly valuable. Among all Mercedes-powered teams, Alpine has recorded the fewest retirements this season, with its only DNF coming when Pierre Gasly was involved in an accident at the Miami Grand Prix.

Racing Bulls may still have the greater potential

Racing Bulls, however, arguably possesses the higher performance ceiling.

The Faenza-based team is Red Bull Powertrains’ only customer on the Formula 1 grid, giving it a unique relationship with the Milton Keynes operation. The power unit has performed strongly throughout the season, while Racing Bulls has also benefited from an efficient cooling and air intake system that has largely protected it from the reliability problems that affected both Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen earlier in the year.

Much of Racing Bulls’ success has also come from the team’s impressive mechanical package and its ability to consistently find an effective car setup. Those qualities have allowed it to score points on a regular basis and remain firmly in contention with Alpine despite starting the season behind its rival.

The second half of the campaign promises to be particularly intriguing. If Racing Bulls decides to introduce an updated airbox design together with revisions to its cooling system, the team could unlock an additional performance gain that may prove decisive in its battle with Alpine for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship.