Overview
- Sporting director Steve Nielsen says the 2026 chassis is ahead of schedule, with the car expected to be in one piece by mid-December and a crash test due within two to three weeks.
- Alpine plans a first engine start with its new Mercedes power unit in December and a shakedown roughly three weeks before collective testing.
- Pre-season running is booked for 26–30 January at Barcelona, compressing the build timeline immediately after the 7 December Abu Dhabi finale.
- Alpine halted 2025 development midyear and is set to finish last in the constructors’ standings, with strategy miscues and slow pit stops weighing on Franco Colapinto’s results.
- Colapinto is confirmed alongside Pierre Gasly for 2026 and struck an optimistic tone before Las Vegas, while Sergio Pérez tested ahead of his Cadillac return for 2026 as one TV pundit predicted the new team could start at the back.