Alpine Executive Technical Director David Sanchez believes the team is taking “no fundamental weakness” into the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The Anglo-French squad has undergone a revolution over the last year with Sanchez introduced to lead the technical team in May, Flavio Briatore brought in as Executive Advisor in June and Oliver Oakes as Team Principal in August.
A decision was also made to scrap the Renault works engine project for the 2026 rule changes in favour of becoming a Mercedes customer from next year onwards.
Sanchez led a positive development programme on Alpine’s 2024 challenger which helped propel the team from ninth to sixth in the Constructors’ standings in the last four rounds of the campaign.
Briatore, largely tasked with restructuring Alpine to make the team a cost-effective but competitive outfit has told Auto Motor und Sport that “[we] must always be in the top six next year,” adding “In 2026, we want to be on the podium in 50 per cent of all races.”
2026 is a season of opportunity for several teams, thanks to the changes in power unit, aero and chassis regulations.
The cars will be shorter, narrower, and lighter and feature active aerodynamics and Sanchez has told Autosport he sees no reason why Alpine can’t capitalise.
“When I look at how we are preparing ourselves for ’26, I don’t see any fundamental weakness which we would take into ’26 and which would hold us back,” he said.
“So I think, ’26, we can intend to do a good job.”
With the new rules cycle looming, Sanchez has to consider when to halt development on the 2025 Alpine charge and look to next year.
“You’re never 100% sure it won’t change depending on results,” he said.
“We hope that we are going to be able to stick to the strategy, so that we don’t have any surprise.”
Sanchez confident Alpine can perform well as a customer team
Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo and Briatore agreed that the underperforming power units produced by the French marque were an unnecessary cost.
The stronger Mercedes package was considered low-hanging fruit and by signing a customer deal, Alpine saved costs and got a better-performing power unit.
McLaren has just proved a customer team can achieve success, winning last year’s Constructors’ title powered by Mercedes.
Sanchez, too, is confident success can be achieved with Alpine as a customer outfit.
“Now, whether you’re a customer or works team, the engines have to perform the same,” the Frenchman said.
“So it’s not anymore a matter of [if] the works team can get more out of the engine.
“Then, in terms of packaging and integration, all the engines [are] now very well packaged. And the way the aero regulations are, there are a few legality boxes which are deliberately big enough such that they won’t favour one PU manufacturer more than another one.
“So I think now, in terms of what engine you have in the car, you can be a customer team and be very good.”
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