With the 2026 regulations being of such importance, teams are willing to sacrifice this season to improve their long-term prospects. Alpine, like others in the midfield, are set to be more aggressive in their development strategy.
There have been a series of major changes at Alpine over the last twelve months.
Arguably the most consequential was Flavio Briatore’s arrival, with the 74-year-old immediately making his mark at Enstone. His cut-throat approach to the team’s driver line-up, has been accompanied by bold statements about Alpine’s ambitions.
The Italian wants the French team to fight for wins by 2026 – and contend for the Championship immediately after.
Understandably, there will be some scepticism about whether Alpine can meet these daring objectives.
However, external doubts or speculation about Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto won’t stop Alpine from implementing their development approach.
Gasly makes clear 2026 is the priority
As mentioned previously by AutoRacer, there are no doubts in Pierre Gasly’s mind about the importance of 2026:
“If it were up to me, I would allocate the entire budget cap to 2026. But maybe it’s a good thing that I’m not the one deciding
“What is certain is that we have to look at the new regulations as a great opportunity and I want to be at the front.
“It won’t be easy to do that this year, but next year we will all start from scratch and it will be up to us to have the best car possible.
“As a team, we will have to be intelligent in how we set up our work.
“For this reason, we have already decided on the budget that we will use this year and also the updates that we will introduce to the car. We have a clear and defined plan.”
Consistent with Pierre Gasly’s prevailing sentiment, it is understood that Alpine will keep last year’s chassis for their 2025 car.
This inevitably means their scope for improvement over the coming 12 months could be more limited than other teams.
However, Alpine have made this decision in order to save money and put more resources towards 2026.
Although exact details are unknown, the Enstone squad have a far easier task (in terms of balancing 2025 and 2026) than the front-runners, who have far more on the line for this year.
This is something Alpine will look to capitalise on, ensuring they start the new regulations with a strong foundation.
Flavio Briatore’s confidence in the Mercedes engine, which others in the paddock have echoed, means there will be no excuse if Alpine fall short in 2026.
