Alpine endured the worst season of its recent Formula 1 history in 2025, but the French team is now determined to fight back and rebuild under the new regulations.
The Enstone-based squad finished last in the Constructors’ Championship with just 22 points. All of those points were scored by Pierre Gasly, while Jack Doohan in the opening five races and Franco Colapinto thereafter failed to secure a single top-10 finish throughout the season.
Faced with disappointing performances early in the year, Alpine made the bold decision to sacrifice further development of its 2025 car in order to focus resources on 2026. It was a risky move that had clear consequences in the short term. Flavio Briatore openly expressed his frustration, describing the season as “a torture”, while making no secret of his expectation that a major turning point must arrive from 2026 onwards.
Minimum target: sixth place
Raising the bar in 2026 is seen as non-negotiable for the French team, which is under pressure to deliver a genuine response after several difficult years. Flavio Briatore has set a clear minimum objective: finishing sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.
“When you are sixth or seventh, you start the season already smelling the podium,” Flavio Briatore said. “When you are 14th or 15th, forget it.”
The switch to Mercedes power is viewed as a cornerstone of Alpine’s renewed ambitions. Renault officially ended its Formula 1 power unit programme at the end of 2025, and Briatore did not hold back when addressing that decision.
“Renault never invested enough since the hybrid era began. I wanted a Mercedes engine, there was no plan B,” the Italian manager explained.
No more excuses for the drivers
Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto have both been confirmed for the new season, but Flavio Briatore delivered a clear message to his driver line-up. “This year there are no more excuses. We have a new car and the same drivers. We need two drivers who push each other to get the maximum,” he warned.
Alpine unveiled the A526 aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Barcelona, a first-of-its-kind presentation in Formula 1. The subsequent shakedown at Silverstone ran smoothly, with 140 kilometres completed without any issues.
“Until the first race, everyone is a world champion,” Flavio Briatore concluded. “When we go to Australia, we will see where we really are.”
Alpine’s transition to Mercedes power units represents a pivotal shift for the Enstone team as they attempt to climb out of the basement of the Constructors’ Championship. By aligning themselves with the most anticipated engine of the 2026 era, Flavio Briatore is removing the technical “excuses” that have plagued the team’s performance for years. The pressure now falls squarely on the shoulders of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto to extract the potential of the A526 and secure that vital sixth-place finish. Alpine’s success in Melbourne will dictate whether their gamble to sacrifice 2025 was a masterstroke of long-term planning or another chapter in a difficult journey back to the front of the grid.
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