Franco Colapinto had his first official contact with the A526 at the start of the 2026 shakedown of Formula 1, which is taking place this week behind closed doors at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Argentine driver was in charge of driving the French team's new single-seater for the first time and left a positive impression on his debut.
During the morning session, Colapinto set the third-fastest time with a lap of 1:21.348, a position that he held throughout the day. In the afternoon, he managed to improve his own mark to 1:20.189 and once again placed third, only behind Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) and George Russell (Mercedes), among the nine drivers who took to the track.
The day was not without setbacks, since Alpine had a technical problem in the morning that forced the Argentine to remain in the garage for about an hour and a half. "We experienced some minor issues that made us lose time, but that are to be expected with a completely new car", the French team warned. Despite the malfunction, Colapinto was able to complete the day with 60 laps and 279 kilometers (173.4 miles) in total, a number considered positive given that this was the first test.
After the session, the Argentine gave statements to F1 TV, where he spoke about his first impressions of the new single-seater. "I'm very happy to be in my first season with a new car, with new regulations. The cars are very different, there are big changes and that is always very exciting", he said.
He also highlighted the team's work: "The boys and girls in Enstone made a huge effort. We are all very grateful for that and happy to start working with this new car".
For Colapinto, this preseason has special value. Although he is facing his third year in Formula 1, this is the first time that he can prepare from the start. "This is what I needed in previous years. With this mileage and this early learning in the season, it is very useful", he stressed.
