Alpine will kick-start its 2026 Formula 1 campaign with a Barcelona launch on January 23, just three days before pre-season running begins at the Circuit de Catalunya.
The timing signals a brisk, business-first approach from an Enstone squad eager to turn the page on a punishing season – and to show off the first Alpine built around Mercedes power rather than Renault’s long-serving factory engine.
The switch is the clearest signal yet that Alpine is done playing manufacturer catch-up and ready to focus on what it does best: building sharp, nimble chassis.
The French outfit is betting that designing a tightly packaged chassis around a proven engine will deliver more performance – and fewer headaches – than its recent years as a works outfit.
With active aero, revised hybrid architecture and a radically different aerodynamic rulebook coming into play, the A526 launch is shaping up to be more than a paint job reveal; it’s Alpine’s attempt at a full-system reboot.
©Alpine
What’s more, Barcelona isn’t just a glamorous backdrop. It’s a logistical slingshot: the team will spill out of the launch venue straight into the first installation laps for the behind-closed-doors test starting January 26.
Expect less marketing fluff and more technical intent as Alpine previews the philosophy guiding its “back to basics” rebuild.
Continuity, Controversy and the Colapinto Question
While the hardware changes dramatically, the driver line-up does not. Alpine will retain Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto for 2026, a decision that raised more than a few eyebrows in the paddock.
Gasly’s extension was expected, but Colapinto’s stay – despite a muted run of results – surprised pundits who assumed the team might reshuffle for the regulation reset.
Yet insiders suggest that the young Argentine’s impressive backing played a decisive role. Colapinto arrives at every race weekend with a sponsor roster that would make a midfield team’s accountant weep with joy, and in a cost-sensitive era, that kind of portfolio can speak as loudly as points.
Still, stability does have its perks. After a turbulent stretch of revolving leadership and strategic U-turns, Alpine is preaching patience.
New managing director Steve Nielsen has urged the team to avoid the urge for another major overhaul and instead focus on consistency – something Enstone has sorely lacked.
With 11 days of testing on the horizon and no more excuses tied to “works-team limitations,” Alpine’s 2026 reset is as high-stakes as it is high-opportunity.
Barcelona will be the first glimpse of whether this recalibrated philosophy – and that new Mercedes heartbeat – can finally lift the team out of the F1 basement.
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