Alpine A526 launch: Flavio Briatore reveals heightened expectations as new car launched on cruise ship | F1 News

Alpine chief Flavio Briatore said he believes the team will be “competitive” this season as their 2026 Formula 1 challenger was revealed on Friday.

Alpine launched their new Mercedes engine era by revealing an A526 car for a 2026 season that they hope will catapult them back up the Formula 1 grid.

The former title-winning Enstone outfit, majority owned by Renault, endured a miserable 2025 campaign as they sunk to last place in the 10-team Constructors’ Championship.

However, it was a struggle they largely envisaged having made the tactical decision to effectively write off last season early in order to concentrate development on 2026’s all-new technical regulations.

That followed the decision in September 2024 to abandon their long-standing own Renault engine project from 2026 in favour of taking a supply of customer engines from Mercedes, who are widely tipped to have developed the field’s strongest power unit.

Alpine have effectively replaced Aston Martin, who now have a Honda works deal, in Mercedes’ customer pool alongside McLaren and Williams.

Speaking as the team revealed the A526 livery on a cruise ship in Barcelona, Briatore said: “We believe we are competitive. We have been working very well. Our technical people have done a super job. Alpine is really coming back with performance this year.”

Alpine will also hope their early focus on chassis development will pay off in the new campaign, with pre-season testing under way at the behind-closed-doors Barcelona shakedown week from Monday.

The team’s first Mercedes-powered car has already been on track in a shakedown at a wet Silverstone on Wednesday.

Briatore: No excuses for drivers this year

Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who scored all of the team’s 22 points last year via some standout drives in difficult circumstances, starts his fourth season at the team.

“I’m really excited for this coming season. It’s a big opportunity for us team and for us as drivers,” Gasly said. “The team have done a fantastic job over the winter preparing us as best we could.

“We had a very successful shakedown, which is a great start, and I’m looking forward to the coming weeks.”

And Alpine have kept faith with Argentina youngster Franco Colapinto, who competed in the final 18 race weekends of last season after replacing Jack Doohan.

Colapinto at one stage appeared in serious jeopardy of being replaced himself but, despite not scoring a point, did enough after the summer break to move closer to Gasly’s pace and convince the team he warranted keeping his seat into 2026.

Briatore warned that he does not expect any “excuses” from his drivers this year and urged Colapinto to raise his level.

“I expect the best,” Briatore said. “This year is not (the time for) excuses any more. We have a brand new car. We have the same drivers.

“He (Franco) has done a very good winter and I hope he has much better results and is ready to compete with Pierre. We need two drivers competing.”

When is F1 pre-season testing?

The introduction of new regulations means there is a robust schedule of three separate testing events before the start of the 2026 season.

The first is a behind-closed-doors event in Barcelona from January 26-30, before two tests follow in Bahrain from February 11-13 and 18-20.

When is the first F1 race?

The teams then have two weeks to prepare for the opening round of the season, which is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6-8.

The first practice sessions of the season will take place on Friday 6 March, with Qualifying on Saturday 7 March and the opening race on Sunday 8 March.

Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime