Alpine took to the observe at Silverstone on Wednesday to shake down the A526, lower than every week earlier than the beginning of the primary Method 1 pre-season take a look at at Barcelona on 26 to 30 January.
The workforce, whose Enstone headquarters is positioned simply 40 kilometres from the British Grand Prix venue, carried out the shakedown of its 2026 F1 automobile automobile with Pierre Gasly on the wheel on a wet day, operating a livery similar to final season’s.
Alpine thus turned the fourth workforce to run its 2026 automobile on observe, following the preliminary assessments carried out by Audi and Cadillac – in Barcelona and Silverstone respectively – and Racing Bulls, which ran on Tuesday at Imola.
The shakedown was important because it marked the primary time Alpine ran a Mercedes engine, with mum or dad firm Renault having deserted its long-running energy unit programme in favour of turning into a buyer workforce.
The 2025 season marked Alpine’s most tough in F1, ending final within the constructors’ championship after halting growth of the A525 in early June to focus absolutely on the 2026 laws, with the purpose of capitalising on the most important regulatory adjustments coming into pressure for each chassis and energy items.
Talking on the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen stated the precedence for 2026 was to make sure the workforce is aggressive on a much more constant foundation and capable of struggle on the entrance of the midfield.
“I wish to be racing each week, ideally for factors,” he stated. “We’ve managed that on the odd weekend this 12 months, however too typically we’ve been a good distance off on the again. That’s not the place this workforce belongs, it’s not the place Enstone historically is, and it’s not the place we wish to be. We should be combating on the prime finish of the midfield for factors each weekend.”
Following the on-track debut of the A526, Alpine is about to carry its official launch for the 2026 Method 1 season this Friday, 23 January, with a particular occasion aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Barcelona, as a part of the workforce’s partnership with MSC.
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