Alpine is going through its most delicate moment of the 2026 season of Formula 1. After establishing itself as the best team in the midfield for much of the championship, the French team has lost performance in the last races and now sees its fifth place in the Constructors' Championship threatened by Racing Bulls.
The concern was reflected in the recent statements of Pierre Gasly after the British Grand Prix. The French driver acknowledged that the A526 is no longer at the level of its main rival and called for an immediate reaction from the team.
"We are too slow and we will have to improve the car because I was losing ground to Gabriel Bortoletto and the Racing Bulls in Silverstone", he stated in an interview with Canal+. He added: "I think that, collectively, we limited the damage with these three points and the cars that retired ahead, but we will have to find more performance".
The numbers support the diagnosis. Since the Monaco Grand Prix, Alpine has only scored ten points, while Racing Bulls has collected 24 and reduced the gap in the championship to just one unit. Additionally, the Faenza team has managed to place Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad in the points zone during the last four weekends.
On the other hand, the teammate of Franco Colapinto was even more critical when comparing both cars. "This weekend, honestly, we were sliding everywhere, we have no traction, we are slower in the corners. At best, we are equally fast and, if not, we lose a bit everywhere. There is a lot of work to do and we will try to focus on the upcoming weekends", he stated.
The concern also reaches the top management of Alpine. Steve Nielsen, the team's managing director, acknowledged that maintaining fifth position will depend on the development of the car during the second half of the calendar. "It is impossible to relax. We are in a development war with Racing Bulls", he assured. He also warned that Aston Martin and Williams are also preparing significant evolutions, so the battle in the midfield could intensify even further.
In the same vein, executive advisor Flavio Briatore admitted that it will be essential to accelerate the arrival of new parts for the A526 to recover lost ground. "We are aware that we need to continue progressing and double our efforts to bring new parts to the car. We must fight and compete more regularly with the Racing Bulls. We know that this battle is very tight in the standings, but the gap is more significant on track", he explained.
With the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix ahead before the European break, Alpine will face two decisive weekends to see if the improvements are enough to maintain the lead of the chasing group or if Racing Bulls ends up displacing them from fifth place.
When does Colapinto race again
After scoring points again, the Argentine driver will try to maintain the good streak at the Belgian Grand Prix. The engines at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit will start in two weeks, on Friday, July 17, with the first free practices and will have action until Sunday, July 19, the same day as the final of the 2026 World Cup, although earlier, with the main race. It is worth remembering that, in his only appearance at this track last year, the native of Pilar finished 19th.
