Alpine F1 aims for greater achievements in 2026.

Alpine’s Changing Expectations in F1 Season

Friday’s Chinese Grand Prix showcased a shift in how Alpine views its standing this season.

Last year, the team based in Enstone struggled, finishing at the bottom of the grid. Despite an impressive drive from Pierre Gasly, which earned them 22 points, that was the entirety of their score, leaving them last in the constructor’s championship.

This time, Alpine is somewhat ahead of the curve, already setting its sights on developing the 2026 car, stepping away from the 2025 Challenger to accommodate upcoming technical changes this season.

While Gasly’s 10th place finish at the Australian Grand Prix might have seemed like a step forward, his remarks in Shanghai indicated that the team desired significantly more.

“We are not satisfied at all,” Flavio Briatore said during Friday’s FIA press conference.

He articulated, “Our performance was quite weak and stemmed from a mix of factors. We’re aware of the significant issues we have with the car, and we’re working on addressing these quickly. But really, it’s just the first race, and historically, that doesn’t decide much in F1. At least we managed to get one point with Pierre. Still, it felt like a fluke, and we can’t change what happened.”

Perhaps Briatore’s view would alter later in the day, reflecting on better outcomes.

Gasly managed to make it into SQ3 during qualifying for the sprint race in China, ultimately securing a seventh-place start—a position that put him ahead of Max Verstappen.

Officials are looking into a potential incident involving Gasly and Verstappen, believing there was some interference at the hairpin corner, yet Gasly’s seventh-place result comes as a good recovery from Australia.

“We are really pleased with how qualifying went today, particularly after our performance in Melbourne didn’t quite hit the mark,” Gasly noted in the team’s media report. “We learned a lot in Australia and applied that here. Right from the first lap, the car felt much improved. It was refreshing to be competitive and make it comfortably into SQ3 among the top four teams.”

“The car is feeling better, and I believe it has more potential than we showed last time. Let’s hope we can maintain this momentum into the race tomorrow and secure some points for the team,” he added.

These reflections from Briatore and Gasly resonate with the new ambitions for Alpine following a disheartening 2025 season. With the team’s quick pivot to 2026—and their new engagement as a Mercedes customer—there’s a palpable sense of increased expectations.

Briatore mentioned at the FIA conference, “Our goal for 2026 is to finish ahead of [Jonathan Wheatley and Audi], if possible,” hinting at their competitive aspirations. “We want to be in the mix, ideally between 6th and 8th.”