Alpine have developed a ‘completely different’ car part that every other F1 team might try to copy

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One of the teams that many fans are unlikely to pay much attention to at the start of the season is Alpine.

Alpine finished bottom of the constructors’ championship last season and continued their trend of changing their team principal every year.

Steve Nielsen is the man standing alongside Flavio Briatore this year, but there are much higher hopes for the Enstone-based team in 2026.

Alpine will use Mercedes power units for the first time this year, and the early signs indicate that it’s by far the most powerful engine in the paddock.

Pierre Gasly scored 100% of the team’s points last year, but alongside Franco Colapinto, they’ll be hoping to regularly challenge the top 10, especially if rival engine manufacturers have work to do to catch up to Mercedes.

Although many people might write off Alpine, technical expert Matthew Somerfield has spotted something on the A526 that the rest of the grid will be analysing after the Barcelona shakedown.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Alpine’s active aerodynamics could be copied by the rest of the F1 grid in 2026

Somerfield was speaking on the Missed Apex Podcast about the new active aerodynamics required under the 2026 regulation changes.

He explained: “You don’t want the car unbalanced.

“And that’s what this, in my opinion, is more about. It’s a balancing tool.

“It’s why, obviously, there are different regulations now for wet weather conditions because of that scenario.

“You don’t want the active aerodynamics to have too much of an impact in wet weather conditions. So they’ve made some changes there to adapt to that.

Alpine will hope to end their droughts in F1 now they have a Mercedes engine, but will they?

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“It’s the same as the rear wing. If we switch down the car quickly, and you think about DRS and the way that DRS used to be used by the teams, well, this is a whole new ballgame.

“We’ve now got a smaller box region for the three elements that we now have, rather than two to fit within. And within that, you have two of those that can be movable.

“Now, there’s one team that have really broken the trend from the others here because they’re doing completely different from anybody else.

“They’re flattening all three elements out rather than creating the letterbox scenario that we’re used to with DRS, Alpine.

“I wouldn’t disregard. It’s a very different solution, which could actually be something that the other teams might follow.”

READ MORE: Who is Alpine’s F1 executive adviser Flavio Briatore? Everything to know

Flavio Briatore dismisses Ferrari power units after Mercedes potentially gain 2026 advantage

Alpine will want people to be speaking about the work that they’re doing on the track this season, but there are other narratives surrounding the team right now.

Christian Horner’s interest in Alpine isn’t going away, and his return to the paddock would be a major talking point.

On top of this, Briatore has been discussing why Alpine didn’t want Ferrari power units this year.

It’s a decision that could pay off handsomely, as although the Ferrari engine looks good, Mercedes could be on another level if the compression trick they’ve found isn’t outlawed.

However, Alpine under David Sanchez are now delivering on an aerodynamic level, and everything might be falling into place for the Anglo-French team to return to the top of the midfield.