Gasly Sees 'Light at the End of the Tunnel' for Alpine's 2026 Revival
After a winless 2025, Alpine is optimistic its early focus on 2026 will pay off. Drivers Gasly and Colapinto believe new regulations and a switch to Mercedes power units signal a major comeback is on the horizon.
After a dismal 2025 season where they finished last in the Constructors' Championship, Alpine is pinning its hopes on a major revival for 2026. The team deliberately sacrificed the current season, shifting development resources early to prepare for sweeping new regulations and a switch to customer Mercedes power units. Both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto remain optimistic, viewing the struggles as a necessary step toward future competitiveness.
Why it matters:
Alpine's aggressive strategy represents a high-stakes gamble on the 2026 regulation reset, a moment that could fundamentally reshape the F1 grid. For a team with Alpine's heritage, prolonged underperformance is unsustainable, making this all-in approach on 2026 a critical moment for the brand's future in the sport. The success or failure of this strategy will not only determine Alpine's immediate future but also serve as a case study in how teams manage the transition between major rule changes.
The details:
- 2025 Sacrifice: Alpine finished dead last in the 2025 Constructors' Championship, with Gasly and Colapinto the only full-time drivers to fail to score a single point across the 24-race season.
- Power Unit Shift: The team has ceased in-house engine production and will become a Mercedes customer for 2026, aligning with what is expected to be a benchmark power unit under the new rules.
- Driver Optimism: Pierre Gasly described the 2025 season as a "very long tunnel" but emphasized he could always "see the light at the end of the tunnel" due to the promising 2026 project.
- Strategic Justification: Gasly fully backed the team's decision, stating, "If it gives me better results next year, I literally do not care about this season—and it will be all worth it."
What's next:
The true test of Alpine's strategy will arrive during pre-season testing in 2026, when the team's new car, powered by a Mercedes engine, hits the track for the first time. With a stable driver lineup of Gasly and Colapinto retained, the team has continuity on the driver front as it embarks on this new era. If the gamble pays off, Alpine could position itself as a surprise contender, but any failure to translate simulation promise into on-track pace would make the 2025 sacrifice a painful memory.