Alpine has revealed the livery for its 2026 Formula 1 car. The British-French outfit introduced the new blue and pink design of the A526 during a special launch event held on a cruise ship in Barcelona last Friday.
This marks the first time an Alpine F1 car will be equipped with a Mercedes engine, following Renault’s decision to discontinue its own power unit program and operate as a customer team ahead of next year’s regulatory overhaul. The A526 has already been tested on track, with Alpine completing a shakedown session in wet conditions at Silverstone on Wednesday.
The team will retain Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto as their drivers for the upcoming season. Alpine is aiming to boost its performance utilizing the updated chassis and engine regulations after struggling through a disappointing 2025 campaign, where they finished last in the constructors’ standings with just 22 points—all scored by Gasly.
Behind the scenes, Alpine’s management and F1 insiders are betting that freezing development on their 2025 car early in the season to focus on 2026’s new rules will pay dividends. Flavio Briatore, who is closely involved with the team, emphasized the rarity and significance of such sweeping changes to the sport and expressed cautious optimism about the road ahead. He noted the importance of continuous development and adapting the car to different circuits in order to climb back up the grid.
“There’s a strong determination in Pierre and Franco,” Briatore said. “Last year was tough for everyone, especially them. Our responsibility is to provide a car that lets their talent shine in a competitive environment.”
Next week, Alpine will stay in Barcelona for the official F1 pre-season shakedown test scheduled from January 26th to 30th, further preparing their new package for the challenges ahead.
Fan Take: This announcement signals a fresh chapter for Alpine, pairing their new engine partnership with a bold livery and a renewed driver lineup. For racing fans, seeing a team strategically focus on next year’s rules could shake up the competitive order and inject unpredictability and excitement into the sport’s 2026 season.
