Will Alpine's Huge 2026 F1 Gamble Pay Off?

Alpine has made a major change to its Formula 1 project, but will it work?

BWT Alpine F1 Team

It would be no great stretch to suggest 2026 is an important year for Alpine in Formula 1.

Last season was dismal for the French manufacturer, with Pierre Gasly's immense effort to gain 22 points only sparing blushes as the A525 finished at the bottom of the constructors' championship. Neither Jack Doohan nor Franco Colapinto recorded a top 10 finish.

A gamble has been taken on shutting down the Renault powertrain plant in Viry, France, with Alpine instead shifting to Mercedes power for the new campaign. Will it help the team take a step forward?

Alpine's lack of stability

BWT Alpine F1 Team

The power unit won't be the only facet that Alpine must improve on. What hasn't helped the team based in Enstone, England, is the consistent upheaval that has gone on in management positions over the past decade, and not only in the F1 team principal role.

Changes at the CEO and board level haven't helped, but the team principal role has seen a revolving door: Marcin Budkowski left the squad in January 2022, then Otmar Szafnauer was axed indignantly after the Belgian Grand Prix in 2023, after 17 months in the role.

Bruno Famin lasted until only 2024 before Oliver Oakes stepped into the role after Flavio Briatore joined as executive advisor, and it seemed as though stability was finally on its way.

Briatore at the wheel and controversy followed

That illusion quickly eroded.

There was the way in which Esteban Ocon was left on the sidelines ahead of what was supposed to be his final race with the team at the end of 2024, replaced by Doohan acrimoniously and without the chance to say goodbye in the way he would have wanted to before departing for Haas.

Ahoy 2026 season 👋⚓️

Flavio, Pierre, Franco and Paul took a trip to the bridge of the MSC World Europa 🌊 pic.twitter.com/g0bvvwnMrQ

— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) January 23, 2026

It was a messy episode that drew unnecessary attention to the team and forced a defense from Oakes.

Doohan didn't last long, though - only until Imola six races into the campaign. In truth, his fate was doomed when, even before his rookie season started, Colapinto was conspicuously signed as a reserve driver.

Then there was Oakes' own departure midway through 2025 - unexpected and sudden around the time of Christian Horner's exit from Red Bull. Many suspected he was earmarked to replace his fellow Briton, but it was discovered that it came after criminal charges were brought against his brother.

Steve Nielsen was brought in as managing director, leaving Briatore as de facto team principal, though his executive advisor position is what is listed.

The biggest controversy was the decision to desert Renault power and switch to Mercedes engines for the 2026 season. Incredulous to many that Renault's own subsidiary could use external power, Briatore's decision led to protests at the Viry plant, to no avail.

Will Mercedes gamble lead to success?

BWT Alpine F1 Team

Mercedes has been identified as the power unit manufacturer expected to start with an advantage under the new regulations, especially with the ongoing furor regarding a compression ratio trick.

It was certainly a happy family as the A526 was launched aboard the MSC World Europa, with Briatore joined by Nielsen, technical director Davide Sanchez and drivers Gasly and Colapinto.

If the Mercedes is indeed the superior power unit in the same way it was when V6 turbo-hybrids were introduced in 2014, the Alpine will be targeting at least a top-five berth in the constructors' standings.

With Williams to miss the first pre-season test, opportunities could present themselves even more than first imagined early in the season. Alpine must be in a position to manage this. If not, further change in an already unstable organization could be on the way. The reset is a chance and it must be taken.

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