Formula 1 made a regulatory change that benefits Alpine

Alpine is not having its best season and is currently last in the Constructors' Cup, but after the Austrian GP, news arrived that could change its luck. Formula 1 updated the distribution of aerodynamic testing for each team, and the French team benefited, since it will have more wind tunnel hours and CFD simulations to work on the development of its car.

The system, which is reviewed twice a year, aims to balance the competition: the worse a team is in the standings, the more testing time it gets to improve. Thus, the French team, which dropped from sixth place in 2024 to tenth in 2025, will be able to conduct 15% more tests than the average, which translates to:

• 368 wind tunnel tests
• 2,300 CFD simulations
• 92 hours of active wind

This extra margin will be key to seeking improvements in the second half of the year, meanwhile Franco Colapinto remains hopeful of securing a permanent seat in F1.

Winners and losers

Losers: Williams and Mercedes

Williams, which climbed from ninth to fifth place before Austria, lost testing time and now has 288 wind tunnel tests (previously had 352) and 1,800 simulations.

Meanwhile, Mercedes's rise to second position means a reduction in testing, so now it will only have 75% of the allowance. It will have 60 tunnel hours (8 fewer than before) and will have to make the most of every simulation.

Winners: Aston Martin, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Sauber

After dropping from fifth to eighth place, Aston Martin now has 105% of the allowance, which translates to more tests and 84 tunnel hours (previously 72).

Additionally, Red Bull and Ferrari also benefited, since they will add 16 additional tunnel tests and 100 CFD simulations. Another winner was Sauber, which rose to 110% of the allowance.

Those who remain the same

On the other hand, McLaren, the undisputed leader, and Racing Bulls, which holds seventh place, maintain their 70% and 100% respectively.