Alpine, the Anglo-French Formula 1 team, is bullish. All F1 teams are at this time of the year, as the covers come off their new cars. But Alpine, which sacrificed the whole of last year to get this year’s car right, and which is now running an engine from multi-title-winning Mercedes-AMG rather than its own long-underpowered motor, is more ambitious than most.
After all, it couldn’t do any worse than last season’s result – 10th and last in the Constructor’s championship. This year, it is targeting a big improvement, ideally to sixth place, and then onto who knows what in the years beyond.
Underlining this ambition was its decision to launch the new Alpine A526 in Barcelona on a cruise ship – MSC World Europa, the eighth largest passenger ship in the world, no less, making it the first time an F1 car has ever been launched on a cruise ship.
The luxury cruiser was built in Northern France, we were told, the same region as Alpine’s Dieppe factory. A nice link, although it was left unsaid that the engines are no longer French; they’re made in Northamptonshire, while the Alpine F1 car itself is made in Oxfordshire. Like most F1 teams, Alpine is fundamentally British.
For all you cruise ship fans, this one’s powered by LNG, reducing sulphur emissions by 99 percent and has a 50kW fuel cell to produce onboard electricity and heat. Suitably green, then, to reflect Formula 1’s own switch to 100 percent sustainable fuels in 2026 – and a new powertrain split 50/50 between combustion engine and electric motor power.
Briatore bravado
This big 2026 rule-change is behind Alpine’s confidence. Executive advisor – team chief in all but name – Flavio Briatore took to the stage and acknowledged that the 2025 season had been sacrificed to concentrate on this year’s car. He’s confident in its abilities, referencing a successful shakedown at Silverstone just a couple of days ago (in the freezing January rain – “it was, like, minus two degrees,” according to lead driver Pierre Gasly). The team ran 140km of the 200km it was allowed; the reason it didn’t do more was because it was getting dark. But car was faultless.
“Before the first race, everyone is world champion,” said Briatore. “It’s when we go to Australia that we see where we are. We believe we are competitive.” There’s no little pressure, either. Alpine “has to come back in performance – this year is not an excuse anymore… we have a brand new car, the same drivers… we depend on them.”
Briatore added that “we need two drivers competing,” indicating to second driver Franco Colapinto that he needs to consistently be a closer match to Gasly. “For the moment, they are friends. After two or three races? We’ll wait and see…”
Enter Gasly and Colapinto
All eyes were on the drivers as they jumped on stage. This year will be “very technical,” said Gasly, “with lots of things to adapt to”. “Such a big change brings opportunities,” he added. The charming Franco Colapinto said this was his first F1 launch and expects it to be “a very different car to drive – different engine, different chassis, a lot of things to learn in testing.”
Alpine MD Steve Nielson didn’t do too deep a tech dive, instead speaking of how 800-plus people at the team’s Enstone base have been working around the clock to get the 2026 car ready. “The car park’s full when I go in, and still full when I go home. The team hopes to “prove that last year was a blip… this is a massive technical and sporting change, with an opportunity for teams to jump up”. Alpine wants to grab it.
Technical director David Sanchez said the 2026 cars are shorter, narrower and lighter. There’s new aero, with different shapes and characteristics, plus active aero that decouples cornering downforce from straight-line drag. There’s also more bias to the electrical side on the power unit, and new tyres. “And the suspension has had a major revamp to give drivers the best car to drive – it’s not just about loads of downforce.”
Expect surprises
There are 44 days until the first race in Melbourne, and three tests, each of three days, in-between. You’re advised to tune in from the start, says Sanchez, “because we expect a very steep aero development curve… there’s a lot more to come, and we’ll also get ideas from other cars to mix and match”. Surprises are all but guaranteed in 2026.
Just to turn up the pressure, the eminently quote-worthy Briatore added that “if the car is bad, it’s our fault. We haven’t had any problems building it – we have the budget., we have the sponsor to feed it… if we want to do something more, I don’t think it’s possible. Because we have done everything that was possible.” A slick ceremony, then, but the underlying tension wasn’t far away. This is F1, after all.
The event was live-streamed and it took precisely 30 mins; in F1, timing is everything. Then we were meant to remain seated while team and sponsor photos were taken. It didn’t last; the stage floor was soon packed with people grabbing shots, grabbing selfies and grabbing the drivers to grab selfies. The PA eventually requested people take a step back from the stage. They shuffled back. Then soon shuffled forwards again.
In the pink
What about the livery? As the crowds cleared, I spied plenty of pink, a heavy nod to title sponsor BTW. Pink halo, a pink Alpine ‘A’ on engine cover, a pink upper nose, pink end plates. The drivers’ overalls are pink. I love it; others may wish for more of the traditional Alpine blue.
Incidentally, we were told, the cruise ship has recently been upgraded with BTW tech to produce water on board – even down to mineral water, which will save millions of plastic bottles a year going to landfill. Because F1 loves a slick sponsor cross-promotion.
This is a very important year for Alpine. Its road car range is finally growing, with the electric A290 set to soon be joined by the Porsche Macan-rivalling Alpine A390. And there’s more in the works; what it needs is for the F1 team to reflect its growing momentum, start delivering on track, and giving Alpine the worldwide visibility boost it desires.
The vibes from the team seem quietly confident. All the ingredients are in place and everything’s running to plan – not always a given when there’s a big regulation change like this. “I’m happy, I’m happy,” said Briatore. “But let’s see. Only the future will tell if we are right or not.” You sense his money’s on the former; we’ll find out in a few weeks whether this launch marks the rebirth of Alpine.
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