After a very stressful season, the end of the race in Abu Dhabi was a perfect picture of what 2025 would look like for Alpine. The reflections of some of the protagonists made it clear how strenuous the year was. Furthermore, the words of Franco Colapinto And Pierre Gasly After the race in Yas Marina, they talk about what they endured in the Enstone team and what they expect for 2026.
“It wasn’t a very positive year, but it’s part of the process and I think next season will be much better. “We have prepared well for the upcoming campaign and we can’t wait to start working on it and forget what happened,” Colapinto told ESPN.
And he added: “I will return to Argentina for a few days and focus on next season to fight and get good results.” I want to have a good year and we have to work hard for that.“.
The Argentine, who did not score any points this season, appreciated Alpine’s performance since his debut in the seventh round of the championship: “It is a team that has not given up despite the bad results, that is very important and prepares us for what is to come.” There are things to improve, but thank God this season is over“.
The radio traffic also revealed the suffering of the two Alpine pilots with the A525. Even at the end of the race in Yas Marina, Pierre Gasly communicated with his team and sent a clear and powerful sentence, with irony but a lot of truth: “Well, let’s keep this car away from me next year. I don’t want to see him anymore“.
In Enstone, Franco Colapinto will continue training in the simulator and will also be able to test the seat in the Alpine A526, which will have Mercedes engines, gearbox and suspension. Since it was also the last place in the constructors’ world championship, the French team had more hours of testing in the wind tunnel.
By 2026 there will be a new Formula 1, with changed regulations with smaller cars and tires, equal performance for combustion and electric motors, reduction in aerodynamic accessories but the inclusion of mobile front spoilers and synthetic fuels.
The last improvement achieved by both cars during these 24 Grands Prix was in Spain at the ninth round. Gasly also had a thought about this situation: “The car behaved very unstable. We could never find the best rhythm. We have to work hard and try to get everything right by 2026. So we’ll see what happens. But yes, of course it will be the last with the Renault engine and we will try to make a complete change with the new overall configuration of our cars with Mercedes engines.
After 49 days, Franco Colapinto will drive an F1 car again, with the brand new A526 at the all-team private testing in Barcelona, taking place from January 26th to 30th. It is the first time that the single-seaters are in use with the new regulations. The official tests will then take place in Bahrain in February, from the 11th to the 13th and from the 16th to the 18th at the Sakhir International Circuit.
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