In the middle of the countdown to the 2026 season of Formula 1 and with attention focused on the deep regulatory change that will mark a new era in the category, Alpine began running with its new single-seater. The French team brought the A526 out on track for the first time that Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly will use at the historic Silverstone circuit in England.
The activity became known through a video posted on social media by British driver Chris Smiley, champion of the United Kingdom Touring Car Championship in 2022, who shared images of the car lapping on the circuit. "First lap for the new Alpine F1 car", he wrote in an Instagram story, along with an image taken by Pete Jones, managing director of the Restart Racing team.
Although no official details about the test were released, it is presumed that it was a filming day or an installation test, intended to verify the correct functioning of the components before the first formal sessions. In the images, a light blue helmet and the number 10 could be seen, which suggests that Pierre Gasly might have been in charge of completing the first kilometers.
