'Team Enstone' has a long history of interpreting the regulations differently – and its approach to active aerodynamics at the rear appears to be unique among the 2026 F1 cars seen so far
Alpine needs to turn a page in its history. Team boss Flavio Briatore insisted on swapping from Renault to Mercedes power, removing one long-standing excuse for its underperformance. The Enstone-based team finished last year at the bottom of the constructors’ championship and its engineers have responded by exploiting the new regulations with curiosity and creativity.
The A526, overseen by David Sanchez, has the ambition of taking the French brand to where a factory team should be, after its extremely difficult 2025 season. One of the reasons cited for the below-par points haul last season, apart from the power unit, was an early pivot to focus exclusively on the challenge of 2026 – and this week we got the first proper opportunity to see the results.
The car does not follow the prevailing design trends and features a number of intriguing solutions that are bound to spark debate, since the front suspension layout is pull-rod – a path that only newcomer Cadillac has taken. The concept was abandoned by others (McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari, to name the top teams), who have reverted to a more conventional push-rod setup.
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
The blue and pink car demonstrates some interesting ideas that deserve closer analysis. Sanchez’s aerodynamicists have also tested a system to activate the rear movable wing in a clever way that differs from the rest of the field: the actuator lowers the trailing edge of the moveable section, rather than raising the front.
The endplates of the rear wing also warrant closer inspection. At the top they are curved slightly outwards to increase the flow capacity of the rear wing, which must be designed within a very small regulatory box. It's a sign that the engineers are grappling with the complexities of finding a good balance with the front end under this new ruleset.
Franco Colapinto in the Alpine A526 on the first day of the Barcelona shakedown. Note the unusually long and tapered sidepod profile, with a bulge for the mandatory side-impact spur
The radiator inlet is positioned very far forward relative to the side anti-intrusion spur, which protrudes slightly from the sidepod and is faired into a profile that remains detached from the sidepod itself. By the third day, we had already seen the first changes, and more will come with further development.
The A526 retains a hollowed upper section of the sidepod, while on the third day of testing in Barcelona the engine cover was opened to help vent hot air from the Brixworth-built power unit.
Alpine A526: front wing detail featuring the flow conditioning vanes
On the bargeboard located behind the front wheel, a second support strut appeared – one that was not present on the opening day of testing. But the flow conditioners under the front wing were retained, echoing concepts from the not-so-distant past, which the regulations had previously banned.
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Category: General Sports
