Alpine's 2026 F1 Car Hits the Track: First Shakedown at Silverstone

Alpine took to the track at Silverstone on Wednesday to shake down the A526, less than a week before the start of the first Formula 1 pre-season test at Barcelona on 26 to 30 January. The team, whose Enstone headquarters is located just 40 kilometres from the British Grand Prix venue, carried out the shakedown of its 2026 F1 car car with Pierre Gasly at the wheel on a rainy day, running a livery very similar to last season’s. Alpine thus became the fourth team to run its 2026 car on track, following the initial tests carried out by Audi and Cadillac – in Barcelona and Silverstone respectively – and Racing Bulls, which ran on Tuesday at Imola. The shakedown was significant as it marked the first time Alpine ran a Mercedes engine, with parent company Renault having abandoned its long-running power unit programme in favour of becoming a customer team. The 2025 season marked Alpine's most difficult in F1, finishing last in the constructors’ championship after halting development of the A525 in early June to focus fully on the 2026 regulations, with the aim of capitalising on the major regulatory changes coming into force for both chassis and power units. Speaking at the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen said the priority for 2026 was to ensure the team is competitive on a far more consistent basis and able to fight at the front of the midfield. “I want to be racing every week, ideally for points,” he said. “We’ve managed that on the odd weekend this year, but too often we’ve been a long way off at the back. That’s not where this team belongs, it’s not where Enstone traditionally is, and it’s not where we want to be. We need to be fighting at the top end of the midfield for points every weekend.” Following the on-track debut of the A526, Alpine is set to hold its official launch for the 2026 Formula 1 season this Friday, 23 January, with a special event aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Barcelona, as part of the team’s partnership with MSC.