Alpine half-season review: ‘Development war’ begins after 2025 recovery

After one of ‘Team Enstone’s’ worst seasons in recent memory, Alpine has restored itself to the midfield with a much sturdier platform in 2026.

The team has seen its efforts pay off after seemingly write off most of 2025 to put its full focus on 2026, and while it would likely hope for better still, its progress should not be sniffed at.

Alpine picks itself back up from disastrous 2025 campaign with A526

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When it became clear that Alpine would be lagging towards the rear of the field in 2025, the vast majority of its focus was understandably placed on creating the best possible car for itself in 2026 and, in the A526, the team has a solid chassis on which to work.

There was some kind of consistency in the driving department, too, with Franco Colapinto keeping his seat alongside Pierre Gasly, and despite a significant switch from factory to customer status, the Mercedes power unit has shown itself among several teams to appear the one to beat.

As a brief aside, it was announced in late 2024 that Renault was shutting down its 2026 power unit programme at Viry-Chatillon, and from a neutral’s perspective, removing another factory power unit from the mix not only removes a certain intrigue among which engine is the best in the sport, but it also created the somewhat odd spectre of what, at its heart, is effectively a Renault-Mercedes on the grid.

Swiftly digressing back to the track, and the A526 proved its effectiveness early on – quickly marking itself out as ‘best of the rest’ behind the top four teams.

Gasly and Colapinto were both off the mark for points by the third race of the season, and Gasly acknowledged it was just reward for those working behind the scenes at Enstone, showing their “sacrifices paid off.”

Gasly scored at least one point in each of the first seven rounds of the season, too, and while Colapinto has been in the points six times himself – including at Silverstone and Spa more recently, the way Racing Bulls has held something of a lock on at least one, if not two places in Q3 shows they are no pushovers in battle.

Since Alpine’s high point of the season (more on that shortly), momentum has very much gone in Racing Bulls’ favour in outscoring Alpine, with both Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad showing solid turns of pace – in amongst battling each other tooth-and-nail seemingly every race.

Alpine managing director, Steve Nielsen, said the Enstone outfit is now effectively in a “development war” with Racing Bulls to wrangle for fifth in the Constructors’ standings.

The rest of the season looks set for a dice for P5 with Racing Bulls, then, but with the Faenza-Milton Keynes outfit having picked up its form in recent races, Alpine will need to do the same – and quickly.

How have Gasly and Colapinto performed?

It’s no secret that Colapinto’s future was under the microscope at the end of 2025, having stepped in mid-season for Jack Doohan last year and, while seemingly shown a turn of pace, did not score any of the team’s 22 points come season’s end.

Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s de facto team principal, kept the faith in Colapinto this time around, and with a full pre-season to ramp up, he appears a much closer match to Gasly weekend on weekend.

His best result of the season came with sixth place in Canada, but it’s Gasly who remains the clear number one at Enstone at this stage.

The Frenchman has scored at eight rounds out of 11, with another particular standout drive coming from a half-race-long defence against Max Verstappen at Suzuka, earning 7th on the day.

It was in Monaco, where Gasly went from ecstasy, to agony, to eventual ecstasy again.

In a race laden with time penalties for speeding in the pit lane, Gasly executed brave overtakes on Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar, while benefitting from the retirement of Charles Leclerc and a late drive-through for George Russell to put himself third on track – but two time penalties dropped him to fifth after the chequered flag.

However, there was a twist yet. It was later noted in evidence that the timing lines in the pit lane were drawn 77cm too short, meaning some average speed breaches were likely incorrectly calculated and, with Alpine having submitted a right of review, Gasly was restored to the podium places.

As (another) aside, despite having spoken of his pride in Formula 1 and the FIA for overturning the decision, he would perhaps be forgiven for still feeling aggrieved at having received the penalties in the first place. Not just from the sporting perspective, but missing out on a potential once-in-a-career experience of celebrating a podium at the most historic circuit of them all, receiving a trophy from Prince Albert, and all that came with a podium in Monaco.

Yes, Gasly is a race winner with five other podiums, but drivers also crave these moments along the way.

Nevertheless, on Colapinto, while not yet assured of a seat for 2027, Briatore acknowledged his performances in June by saying he was pleased with his progress and, in the same interview, hinted at a decision being made around the time of the summer break around his future.

There has been no official word yet, but a much-improved Colapinto will aim to keep impressing enough to earn another season at Alpine.

Gasly’s Monaco podium caps a season so far in which he holds a healthy 42 points compared to 19 for Colapinto, though Alpine will need to address Racing Bulls’ recent uptick from here.

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Why off-track headlines create future Alpine intrigue

While it would be pertinent to keep things track-related while looking ahead at this point, it is also worth nothing that many of the headlines surrounding Alpine have been away from the circuit – not least the purported interest in Otro Capital’s 24% stake in the team, which is set to potentially become available for bidders in September.

Interested parties have been said to have included investors headed by former Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, as well as Mercedes itself, and others – which seem likely to value the team as a multi-billion dollar entity.

Aside from that, Alpine has already confirmed a new title sponsorship with luxury brand Gucci for 2027, with a potentially all-new look coming to the A527.

Alpine is a team both getting back on its feet and preparing for what it hopes will be future success, all while continuing with the rigours of the full Formula 1 calendar.

Quite how it will turn out in time? Nobody knows, but McLaren’s recent title success is proof positive that becoming a customer team does not necessarily rule manufacturers out of championships in future.

What comes next for Alpine?

As has always been the case in Formula 1, standing still is going backwards, and after a development brought in Austria, Alpine has hinted at a significant upgrade to be installed at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Gasly pointed to how Alpine’s rivals have kept up their rate of development where Alpine has not yet, so placed significant bearing on what the team will bring in the Netherlands.

He told PlanetF1.com and others in Budapest: “It’s important because Aston Martin improved by two seconds this weekend, they have another engine coming [at Zandvoort], Racing Bulls improved by seconds in the start of the year, Audi as well.

“We just didn’t do much steps, so I think it’s critical for us if we want to keep the hope for that fifth place in the championship.”

As for how this season has gone so far as a whole? It’s a solid return to form, but getting back ahead of Racing Bulls in the Constructors’ battle will be an immediate priority.

PlanetF1.com half-season rating: 6/10

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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