Why Alpine must deliver a competitive car in 2026 or they risk losing one of their best assets

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Alpine have had to make some unpopular decisions in the last 24 months with the sacking of key team members, technical reshuffles and the cancellation of their long-time engine project.

It would all indicate a team that is on the decline, and yet, parent company Renault continues to push forward with the Alpine project in the hopes that it will bring them title success.

The roots of Team Enstone go back to Benetton, who were one of the powerhouses of the 1990s. They won titles with Michael Schumacher, although much of Benetton’s 1994 season was marred by accusations of cheating.

They would morph into Renault under Flavio Briatore and find further success in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso, aided by some ingenious engineering by key figureheads in F1.

But since their V10 era success, the team has been marred by controversy. The Crashgate scandal damaged their reputation and Briatore’s, and most recently, they have been through seven different team principals, having only won one race in 2021.

The 2025 season has been a wake-up call, but it might be too late for one of their drivers.

Pierre Gasly might look elsewhere if Alpine are not competitive

When Pierre Gasly made the switch from AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) to Alpine in 2023, he was looking for a second chance at a top seat he felt he deserved.

His period at Red Bull went down the same as everyone else who has been the second driver at that team in the last six years: Turn up, get thrashed by Max Verstappen, get blamed for not being quick enough, replaced midway through the season. It’s a brutal system, but Gasly was always quick to point out that Red Bull were the ones who gave him his shot at F1 in the first place.

The switch to Alpine looked like that second chance at glory, but it’s been far from that. In 2022 they were finishing regularly ahead of AlphaTauri and getting close to podiums, but a disappointing 2023 coupled with a complete shift in car philosophy for 2024, led them to this point in 2025: last in the Constructors’ Championship.

Gasly has scored all of Alpine’s 19 points so far this year, while neither Jack Doohan nor Franco Colapinto have looked anywhere near close to breaking into the top 10 places. Gasly has had to work with Alpine’s limitations far too much this year, notably when tyre degradation effectively spoiled his race in Austria.

His brilliance in the wet at Silverstone sealed them seventh place ahead of Fernando Alonso, a maestro at dragging a result out of an average car. Gasly has had his ‘Alonso moment’ in 2025, and as much as he has forged great friendships at Alpine, he can’t wait forever for a decent car to turn up.

A switch to Mercedes power and focusing on 2026 early has probably been enough to persuade Gasly that it’s worth taking a punt on Team Enstone, but they will need to be finishing in the top five for him to stick around any longer.

• READ MORE: Pierre Gasly makes Christian Horner F1 prediction amid rumours he could join Alpine after Red Bull sacking

Where could Pierre Gasly end up after 2026?

The driver market from 2026 onwards could be one of the busiest in F1, depending on how competitive each team turns out to be when the new chassis and engine regulations kick in.

Max Verstappen has been linked with a move to Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton could also decide to leave Ferrari if they prove to be uncompetitive in 2026.

George Russell has been rumoured to be in line for a drive at Aston Martin, and then there are the added seats at Cadillac that could prove to be competitive.

Gasly could fit in at either Red Bull or Ferrari, given his strong links to either in the form of previous history or having his childhood friend Charles Leclerc currently race for them.

He’s proven to be a capable and consistent driver at Alpine, and in this era of F1 cost caps, it pays a lot to have a guy who can bring the car home in one piece.