Model A526 debuts unprecedented regulation with pink and blue livery; team tries to leave behind the 2025 performance crisis
Alpine kicked off its 2026 Formula 1 season with a new car and a paradigm shift: for the first time in the modern era, the team is no longer a Renault factory team to become a Mercedes engine customer.
The new model, named A526, was unveiled at an event aboard the MSC World Europa ocean liner, docked in Barcelona. The luxurious scenario contrasts with the technical pressure that the team faces: after a difficult 2025, Alpine is betting all its chips on the new technical regulations of the category – which modifies practically everything and increases the dependence on electric energy in the propulsion – to compete again in the front pack.
Under the hood, the A526 carries the new Mercedes-AMG power unit, a strategic decision driven by executive consultant Flavio Briatore and managing director Steve Nielsen. The maneuver aims to eliminate the power deficit that the old Renault engine presented compared to rivals, allowing engineers to focus exclusively on the aerodynamic development of the chassis.
Visually, the car maintains its identity divided between the traditional blue of the French brand and the pink of the master sponsor BWT. In the cockpit, stability was the choice: Frenchman Pierre Gasly continues as team leader, with young Argentine Franco Cola at his side
“The new regulations offer a blank slate and a unique opportunity to be more competitive,” Briatore said during the event. The team describes the A526 as a “complete structural transformation”, aggressively designed to exploit loopholes in the new 2026 rules.
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The team now races against time for the initial shakedown , before pre-season testing, where the real integration between the French chassis and the German engine will be put to the test.
