Alpine could become the 'best worst team' in Formula 1 history

In Formula 1, finishing at the bottom of the table is never the goal. It means less financial income, less appeal for sponsors, and, above all, the symbolic blow of the famous "wooden spoon". However, Alpine is achieving something unprecedented: being last, but at the same time delivering a more than respectable season in terms of performance and points.

In just 14 races of 2025, the Enstone team has 20 points, a historic figure for a bottom-placed team. Until now, the second-best record belonged to Haas in 2023, with 12 points in 22 events. Looking further back, Toro Rosso reached eight points in 2009, which with the current system would be 29, although at that time there were more retirements that allowed modest teams to break into the top 10.

The contrast is even greater when looking at the case of Minardi in 2005, which scored seven points, five of them in the memorable and chaotic Indianapolis GP, with only six cars on track. Outside of that race, its results did not go beyond a 12th place.

The difference for Alpine lies in real competitiveness. Pierre Gasly, with a sixth place in Silverstone as his best performance, has carried the entire weight of the team. Neither Jack Doohan nor Franco Colapinto, who shared the second car, managed to reach the points zone.

In qualifying, the outlook also reflects an improvement: Alpine advanced past Q1 in 16 out of 28 opportunities (or 18 out of 34 including sprints), surpassing Toro Rosso's records in 2009 and approaching Haas's performance in 2023, which reached (S)Q3 on 14 occasions.

The achievement doesn't hide the difficulty of the challenge ahead. Haas, a direct rival at the bottom, keeps a 15-point advantage, and its background in 2023, such as Nico Hülkenberg's qualifying in second position in Canada, shows that the American team knew how to turn flashes of speed into concrete results.

Historically, finishing last with points is a rarity, since it has only happened 13 times in F1 history: Arrows (2002), Minardi (2004 and 2005), Spyker (2007), Toro Rosso (2009), Manor (2016), Williams (2018, 2019 and 2022), Haas (2023), and Sauber (2017 and 2024). Alpine now joins that list, but with an unprecedented record.

The immediate future raises a question: can Gasly single-handedly sustain the fight to avoid last place? Or will Alpine end up consolidating the label of "best worst team" in history? What is certain is that, even amid difficulties, the French team is setting a curious precedent: showing that even from the back of the grid, it is possible to compete with dignity.