Briatore Demands Success as Alpine Unveils A526

Flavio Briatore has issued a blunt ultimatum to Alpine following the unveiling of the A526 in Barcelona: there are "no excuses anymore." After a dismal 2025 season that saw the team finish last in the Constructors' Championship, the executive advisor is demanding immediate performance from the new chassis and the driver pairing of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.

Why it matters:

Alpine aggressively shifted focus to the 2026 regulations early, sacrificing their 2025 campaign to ensure a competitive start to the new era. With Briatore now effectively running the show and significant resources poured into the A526, the team faces immense pressure to prove that this strategic pivot was the correct decision and return to the midfield fight.

The details:

• Driver Expectations: Briatore emphasized that both Gasly and Colapinto must deliver. He praised Colapinto's work over the winter, noting the Argentine is ready to challenge his teammate.
• Internal Competition: While noting the current friendship between the drivers, Briatore predicted dynamics might change "after two or three races" as competition heats up.
• 2025 Context: The team struggled immensely last year, with Colapinto and Jack Doohan failing to score points after the mid-season swap, leaving Gasly as the sole points scorer with 22.
• Early Running: The A526 has already seen track time, completing a filming day at a wet Silverstone earlier this week ahead of the official shakedown in Barcelona.

What's next:

The A526 will hit the track for its first pre-season shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Monday. This will provide the first real glimpse of whether the team's early focus on 2026 has yielded the performance gains Briatore is demanding.