Breaking down Alpine’s shocking 2026 resurgence

Alpine has been doing great this season, being one of the few teams to score points every race.

The team has achieved amazing results in comparison to last year. They have more than double the points they had at the conclusion of the 2025 season—and we are only seven races in. Currently, Alpine sits in fifth place in the championship order. This is a huge improvement over last year where they finished in last place.

The performance that the team has put on so far is incredible, with Pierre Gasly scoring a podium in Monaco, and the two drivers scoring points for the team in Barcelona. Gasly is currently on a seven-race scoring streak with hopes to continue the streak in Austria.

Why has Alpine improved so much?

Alpine had made the decision in early 2025 to focus on development for the 2026 season. This means, they essentially sacrificed their 2025 season. The decision did not come lightly, and was backed by long-time Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly.

The team has also reached stability. Alpine has had lots of people coming and going. So they’ve never been stable over the last two seasons. This year, they have the same driver lineup, a stable CEO and team principal, and a new batch of engineers. Team principal, Flavio Briatore, plans to keep stability within the team for the future seasons to come.

Another factor for their improvement is that both drivers—Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto—have been consistently performing on the different tracks. Gasly has been having more luck than Colapinto, but it looks promising for the road ahead with the upcoming races having different kinds of tracks.

The Alpine engine is a Mercedes, giving them an advantage with their gearbox (the team has stated that they are hoping to build their own for 2027). Gasly has expressed that it is refreshing to have a reliable car. Mercedes is set to be Alpines manufacturer up to 2030.

A big part of Alpines success this season is that they remain humble, and continue to make room for improvements after every race. Even though they have been very satisfied with their results.

Alpine’s future in F1

If Colapinto is able to gain more pace and confidence in his car, Alpine could have both cars scoring, securing their spot in the championship.

Both drivers are struggling at the start. If they are able to fix this, it will become a lot easier for them to remain in the point scoring positions, and maintain their point-scoring streak. The drivers also would not have to work so hard to regain positions and catch up.

Alpine’s future is looking bright this season. If the team can keep up what they’ve been doing and make a few adjustments, Alpine could end up fighting for fourth in the championship.