Pierre Gasly issues Alpine firm instruction ahead of major F1 change

Pierre Gasly has challenged Alpine to ensure its 2026 chassis is strong enough to match the expected boost it will receive from a Mercedes engine. 

Alpine is reverting from a works Renault power unit to a customer Mercedes supply in 2026, with rumours indicating that the Brixworth engines will be the class-leading for F1's new generation of rules.

Renault has been unable to develop and fix major weaknesses with its power unit after the 2022 development freeze, with the decision being taken to close production at Viry in 2024 at the end of the current cycle. 

As such, with the expected class-leading engine in the back, Gasly has challenged Alpine to ensure it upholds its part of the deal.

"The [new] regulations give a much bigger opportunity and have potentially much bigger rewards, and the focus has got to be there," Gasly explained to media, including RacingNews365. 

"The way the guys are working at the factory, everybody is very full of confidence and optimism to get the car in a great place, but at the same time, we won't have the answer until we put the car down.

"For sure, [having a Mercedes engine] is giving confidence, but there is no guarantee they'll have the best engine for next year, it is just going from past years that they seem to be one of the best.

"Then, in terms of the chassis, we know we have got work to do, we have a chassis which is pretty reasonable, but it does not mean we cannot do better. We got ideas on how to improve, but we could not put them all into this year's car.

"I trust the process, I know we make headlines and people might not see deeply inside the team what goes on, and the more obvious changes are not always the ones bringing the most impact, but make the most noise."